In the latest case riveting the United States, Marine veteran and defendant Daniel Penny’s run-in with an agitated man on a New York subway has yielded agreement amongst prosecutors and defense attorneys on one point — Penny did not intend to take the man’s life. However, their interpretations of the situation diverge significantly thereafter. The lead prosecutor contends that Penny misjudged the situation, reacting too excessively to someone he perceived as a threat rather than as a fellow human being. Meanwhile, Penny’s defense lawyer maintains that his client acted bravely, putting the safety of fellow passengers before his own when he applied the chokehold that rendered his adversary, Jordan Neely, unconscious.
The manslaughter trial following Neely’s demise has spawned a series of opening statements from both parties, leaving the court resonating with arguments on the racial, safety, homelessness, and responsibility angles of the case. Detractors of Penny’s actions perceive him as a Caucasian man who overstepped his boundaries, turning vigilante against a Black man who, despite his erratic behavior and hostile threats, was unarmed and had not physically harmed anyone onboard the subway car.
On the other end, proponents of the 25-year-old defendant credit him with taking decisive action to ensure the safety of distressed subway riders – action he purports was intended to deescalate the tense situation, not fatally harm Neely. The prosecutor, Dafna Yoran, underscored that the trial did not constitute a verdict on society’s poor handling of mental illness and homelessness in subways, nor on the appropriateness of police response or Penny’s right to intervene before police presence. Neither did it hinge upon the legitimacy of Penny initially resorting to a chokehold.
In Yoran’s perspective, Penny’s grave mistake lay in the excessive duration and extent of force he employed; a grotesque overreach. She drove the point home that he had expressed ‘indifference’ towards Neely, failing to recognize his ‘humanity.’
Contrary to this, Thomas Kenniff, Penny’s defense attorney, counters that the force used mirrored the minimum necessary to control Neely, deemed a ‘menacing, psychotic’ man ready to strike a woman and her child whilst declaring his readiness to kill. Kenniff emphasized that Penny was faced with two options in the decisive moment, either to ignore the looming danger or demonstrate courage by prioritizing the safety of his helpless passengers. Choosing the latter didn’t make Penny a hero, but it certainly did not make him a murderer, stated Kenniff.
The case’s nuances have been intricately woven into the fabric of America’s notoriously contentious politics, stirring action from officials who speak in favor of Penny on one hand and attend Neely’s funeral on the other. Demonstrations have further manifested the public split on support or criticism for Penny. Throughout the trial, Penny’s demeanor remained primarily stoic, keeping his gaze firmly fixed straight ahead.
Peeling back the layers on Neely’s personal life reveals a history marred with mental health struggles characterized by drug abuse following his mother’s brutal murder during his teenage years – a reality that his family says sent his life spiraling out of control. By his 30s, Neely had become something of a subway performer, doing impressions of Michael Jackson, albeit shadowed by a record of criminal offenses, an assault on a woman at a subway station amongst them.
Penny’s encounter with Neely occurred under relatively ordinary circumstances. En route to a gym session from his college class, Penny, an architecture student with four years of service in the Marines Corp under his belt, crossed paths with Neely, who was audibly soliciting money from subway passengers. Witnesses give accounts of Neely’s alarming outbursts about his readiness to either die or face imprisonment, punctuated with abrupt movements.
According to Yoran, Neely was not shy about his intentions to inflict harm. It was at this point, Penny intervened, locking Neely in a chokehold and maneuvering him to the subway car floor. The chokehold had Penny’s legs wrapped around him.
The intense confrontation, partially captured on video by a fellow passenger, lasted roughly six minutes. Most of the passengers had exited the subway car at the next station, leaving only two who stayed behind and aided in restraining Neely. A stark warning that Penny risked killing Neely if he maintained the hold was issued by another passenger, as per court documentations and the statement.
Penny’s defense attorney, Kenniff, reveals that amid the intense altercation, Penny pleaded with the remaining passengers to call the police, maintaining his hold on Neely owing to intermittent bouts of aggressive flailing and attempts to stand. Even as Neely’s body eventually succumbed to limpness, Penny held on for approximately another minute before letting go, according to the prosecution’s narrative.
After releasing Neely, Penny waited for law enforcement to arrive, a detail that Yoran pointed out as notable given Penny’s failure to check signs of Neely’s life such as his pulse or breathing, or to attempt to resuscitate him. Penny clarified to the police that his motive behind the chokehold was merely to mitigate the tense situation without causing injury to Neely, and to prevent him from causing harm to other subway passengers.
The autopsy results confirmed the cause of Neely’s death as neck compression, a finding that attorneys for Penny question. The details of the case continue to unfurl as the trial progresses, leaving a host of unanswered questions and persisting tensions in its wake. As a poignant reminder of the societal issues driving such events, debates continue to intensify both inside and out of the courthouse, with varying perspectives on vigilantism, self-defense, and the rights and responsibilities of individuals when addressing perceived threats.