Former US Marine Daniel Penny whose chokehold killed Jordan Neely indicted by grand jury
US Marine veteran Daniel Penny
Former US Marine Corps veteran Daniel Penny who reportedly killed Jordan Neely, a homeless man,has been indicted by a New York court grand jury. The charge or charges levelled against Penny by the grand jury, however, will not be revealed until he appears in court.
After the indictment, New York Mayor Eric Adams applauded Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for taking the case forward to this point. Despite intense public backlash, Bragg's office filed manslaughter charges against Penny.
“I appreciate DA Bragg conducting a thorough investigation into the death of Jordan Neely. Like I said when the DA first brought charges, I have the utmost faith in the judicial process, and now that the grand jury has indicted Daniel Penny, a trial and justice can move forward," said Adams.
Ready to face trial jury: Penny's attorneys
Meanwhile, Penny's lawyers Steven Raiser and Thomas Kenniff said they respected the jury's decision but their client was innocent.
“While we respect the decision of the grand jury to move this case forward to trial, it should be noted that the standard of proof in a grand jury is very low and there has been no finding of wrongdoing," said Steven Raiser.
"We’re confident that when a trial jury is tasked with weighing the evidence, they will find Daniel Penny’s actions on that train were fully justified."
Watch |US Marine veteran surrenders to police over fatal choking of NY homeless man
Jordan Neely’s death
A video that went viral at the time, showed Penny putting 30-year-old Jordan Neely in a chokehold and pinning him to the floor of an F train in Manhattan. The death of Neely, also known as a Michael Jackson impersonator who often performed in the coaches, sparked outrage and protests across the country.
After the video of the incident surfaced and Penny surrendered, he was charged with one count of second-degree manslaughter. However, Penny continues to claim that he only wanted to subdue Neely who was being a nuisance while riding the subway car. Penny claimed Neely shouted ï'm gonna kill you" and that he was "ready to die" or go to jail for life.
According to the medical examiner, Neely died from compression of the neck. Furthermore, a freelance journalist who witnessed the incident said Neelyhad been screaming and begging for money but had not physically attacked anyone.
(With inputs from agencies)
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