The ex-Marine who protected a carful of NY city subway passengers from a mentally ill guy who threatened to kill is now on trial
Did the man deserve to have died from being restrained?
Follow live updates here from the New York Post.
A Manhattan manslaughter trial is underway against Daniel Penny, 26 — a Long Island native who servedn the Marine Corps — charged for placing NYC homeless man Jordan Neely in a deadly chokehold on the subway in May 2023 after Neely made disturbing threats on board the train.
What would you have done if you had the strength, skill and training of Penny? You’re in a crowded subway car and this maniac shows up. He shouted that was desperate, not afraid to go to prison (again) and was ready to kill passengers..
One witness testified that she was so frightened that she thought she would pass out. When the train reached the next stop everyone fled while Penny held Neely down. The best way to restrain him is a chokehold. Neely died.
Not saying what the jury should decide and as a general principle, do people have to put up with threats to kill them from someone who appears deranged? Did Neely bring this on himself? Is his death an unintended consequence of his actions? Is a manslaughter charge excessive? Is it a politically inspired trial?
The defense lawyer told jurors that Penny applied only as much force as needed to contain a “seething, psychotic” man who had lunged toward a woman with a small child and declared, “I will kill.”
So what should Penny have done? Pull out his cell phone camera and video tape Neely as he assaulted someone? That seems to be the practice nowadays, as if violent crime is entertainment.