Former Marine Daniel Penny was acquitted today by a jury of all charges stemming from the 2023 death of Jordan Neely, a troubled individual with a history of arrests.

As reported by The Gateway Pundit, Penny had been charged with criminally negligent homicide after restraining Neely in a chokehold during an incident on a New York City subway.

A second-degree manslaughter charge was dismissed earlier after the jury reached a deadlock.

The case centered on events from May 1, 2023, when Neely boarded an F train behaving erratically, shouting, and threatening passengers. Penny, trained in chokehold techniques from his military service, intervened to restrain Neely.

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Neely stopped moving during the restraint and was later pronounced dead. The incident, captured on video, sparked intense debate across the country, with supporters praising Penny’s actions as self-defense while others raised concerns about excessive force.

Jordan Neely had a lengthy criminal record, including 42 prior arrests. His offenses ranged from assaulting a 67-year-old woman to the attempted kidnapping of a 7-year-old girl by dragging her down the street.

Image Credit: © Seth Harrison, The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK
Hennessy Garcia of Manhattan holds a sign outside Mount Neboh Baptist Church in Harlem May 19, 2023 before the funeral for the Jordan Neely, the 30-year old who was killed in a New York City subway car on May 1st. Neely, who suffered from mental illness, was choked to death by Daniel Penny, who has been charged with second-degree manslaughter.

Despite this history, some argued that his death represented a broader issue of racial injustice.

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Following Penny’s acquittal, Hawk Newsome, the founder of BLM of Greater New York, made a series of controversial remarks.

Newsome criticized the verdict and claimed Neely was “killed for being loud.” He went further, calling for “black vigilantes” and urging community gatherings to discuss their response to oppression.

“It’s like everybody else has vigilantes! We need some black vigilantes!” Newsome declared. “People want to jump up and choke us?! And kill us for being loud! How about we do the same when they attempt to oppress us?”

Newsome’s comments were delivered during a media appearance, where he also reportedly shouted, “It’s a small world, buddy!” in the courtroom after the jury’s decision was announced.

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The case has highlighted tensions over issues of self-defense, public safety, and race. The verdict has brought closure for Penny but left ongoing questions about how society addresses these complex issues moving forward.

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