Who was Jordan Neely? Michael Jackson impersonator who died after chokehold in New York train

In a shocking incident, a 30-year-old homeless man, Jordan Neely, who was screaming on a subway train, died on Monday afternoon when a fellow passenger grabbed him and placed him in a chokehold.

On Wednesday evening, his death was ruled a homicide, the city's medical examiner confirmed.

Neely, with a history of mental health issues, started ranting in an aggressive manner on board.

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A freelance journalist Juan Alberto Vazquez was at the scene and in a conversation with New York Post, shared the details of the incident.

Vazquez said, “He starts to make a speech. He started screaming in an aggressive manner.”

“He said he had no food, he had no drink, that he was tired and doesn’t care if he goes to jail. He started screaming all these things, took off his jacket, a black jacket that he had, and threw it on the ground," he added.

Triggered by the ranting, a passenger pushed Neely onto the ground and held him in a deadly chokehold for about 15 minutes.

According to Julie Bolcer, a spokesperson for the medical examiner, Neely died from compression to his neck as a result of the chokehold.

The killing has led to investigations by both the police and prosecutors, according to a spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. As of Wednesday afternoon, nobody had been arrested.

“As part of our rigorous ongoing investigation, we will review the Medical Examiner’s report, assess all available video and photo footage, identify and interview as many witnesses as possible, and obtain additional medical records,” the district attorney’s spokesperson said in a statement as per The New York Times report.

“This investigation is being handled by senior, experienced prosecutors and we will provide an update when there is additional public information to share,” he added.

Journalist Vazquez recorded the incident in a three-and-half-minute-long video.

The video showed some fellow riders helpingpin down Neely while others kept watching.

“He moved his arms but he couldn’t express anything,” Vazquez said of Neely. “All he could do was move (his) arms."

“Then suddenly he just stopped moving,” Vazquez recalled. “He was out of strength.”

“None of us who were there thought he was in danger of dying,” Vazquez said. “We thought he just passed out or ran out of air. I think that in one sense it’s fine that citizens want to jump in and help. But I think as heroes we have to use moderation,” he said.

“This would never have happened if the police had shown up within five minutes,” he added. “Then we’d be talking about a true hero. It’s complicated.”

Who was Neely?

Neely, whom people knew as a Michael Jackson impersonator, used to live on the streets and had a history of mental health issues. He used to perform on the subway in exchange for money.

His father, Andre Zachery, said that he was only four years old when he introduced him to Jackson's music. As he grew older, he began impersonating the King of Pop.

“He looked just like him,” recalled Zachery. “He used to perform on the block. One day, people were loving him. Michael!”

“Jordan was a good man,” his grieving father told The Daily News. “He was a good person. He grew up good. He always had a (temper), but he never used to hurt anyone ... He wasn’t bad. He was beautiful.”

He said that his son was autistic and that the murder of his mother in the year 2007 in New Jersey affected him deeply.

“He didn’t care anymore after that,” he said while talking to The Daily News. “Once his mother died ... They were very close. He loved her so much that he just lost it. After we buried her, he just wasn’t the same anymore,” he revealed.

People worldwide took to Twitter to express dismay over the unfortunate incident and called out the unnecessary violence.

(With inputs from agencies)

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