( 📸: Paul Martinka| Ny post )
Cousins! Following a month worth of outrage felt throughout the city of New York for the tragic killing of longtime subway entertainer Jordan Neely at the hands of former marine Daniel Penny an official update has been issued!
According to reports from the New York Post, a Manhattan Grand Jury has moved forward with the indictment of Daniel for the deadly chokehold that claimed Jordan’s life.
As we previously reported the 24-year-old had placed Jordan within a chokehold as they rode the F train on May 1st. Daniel told police officials that Jordan had been allegedly yelling, screaming, and threatening other passengers at the time of the incident.
Though the described behavior wasn’t directed at him, Daniel stated that he feared for his life and others so he grabbed Jordan with, “no intentions of killing him”.
“There’s a common misconception that Marines don’t get scared. We’re actually taught one of our core values is courage, and courage is not the absence of fear but how you handle fear,” said Daniel .
“I was scared for myself but I looked around there was women and children, he was yelling in their faces saying these threats. I just couldn’t sit still.”
It has been stated that the former marine now faces one charge of second-degree manslaughter and another charge of criminally negligent homicide.
Within a widely spread video captured by a witness that occupied the train at the same time of the incident, Daniel can be seen holding down Jordan within a move called a ‘rear naked choke.’ As per the New York Post, Daniel is said to have grabbed Jordan from behind and dropped him to the ground as him alongside two other men attempted to restrain him.
The city medical examiner later ruled Jordan’s death as a homicide while concluding that he died from “compression of the neck.”
Jordan’s family blamed authorities for not making sure he got the care he needed as they state he was having a mental meltdown at the time of the week incident . They’ve also called for Daniel to face murder charges.
If convicted Daniel could serve a 15 year sentence in state prison for one charge and four years behind bars for the second one.
“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,” says Daniel’s attorney Steven Raiser, of the law firm Raiser & Kenniff, today within an issued statement.
Daniel’s attorneys had previously argued that he acted in self defense within the fatal encounter . “Mr. Neely had a documented history of violence and erratic behavior, the apparent result of ongoing and untreated mental illness,” declared lawyers Steven Raiser and Thomas Kenniff wrote.
Following today’s delivered verdict reverend Al Sharpton issued a forwarded statement that read, “This was a clear-cut case of vigilantism that has no place in our society, which is why I spoke against it at Jordan’s funeral.”
“While [the grand jury] should be saluted for this righteous step, we wish the charge would have reflected what this really was: murder,” Sharpton continued, adding that his National Action Network would “continue to monitor this case to ensure this killer is held accountable and there is justice for Jordan.”