Source: Pacific Press / Getty
A grand jury has indicted Daniel Penny in the death of Jordan Neely on a New York subway train last month.
On Wednesday (June 14th), grand jurors in Manhattan returned an indictment against Penny. The exact charges were not revealed, but are expected to be announced once the indictment is unsealed. Penny was charged with second-degree manslaughter last month and turned himself over to authorities. He would be released on a $100,000 bond afterward.
A representative for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg declined to comment on the indictment when contacted by the press. “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 Mayor Eric Adams in a statement.
Lawyers for Neely’s family applauded the grand jury’s decision, issuing a statement saying that it was “the right result for the wrong he committed”. “Daniel Penny did not have the right to be the judge, jury, and executioner,” they also said. In their statement, lawyers for the 24-year-old former Marine said that “it should be noted that the standard of proof in a grand jury is very low and there has been no finding of wrongdoing. 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.”
The indictment comes six weeks after May 1st when Neely boarded a northbound F train, appearing to be erratic and yelling about being unhoused. Penny grabbed the 30-year-old in a chokehold along with two other passengers, bringing him to the floor of the train. A bystander took video footage showing Penny having Neely in that chokehold for several minutes as he struggled. Neely would be pronounced dead after being hospitalized, and the medical examiner declared his death a homicide due to compression of the neck. Penny has maintained that he was acting in self-defense.
The case has shone a light on the serious societal divide, as protests ensued days after Neely’s death demanding justice. Right-wing networks and publications dubbed Penny a hero and “Good Samaritan”, including Republican presidential candidates. Penny’s lawyers stated that a crowdfunding campaign for him has raised $2.8 million so far for his defense.
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