Name: Marine Veteran Pleads Not Guilty in Chokehold Death of Jordan Neely
Uploaded: 2023-06-29T21:03:36.000Z
Description: A U.S. Marine veteran charged with manslaughter for putting Jordan Neely in a fatal chokehold on a subway train in New York City in early May pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Manhattan on Wednesday.

Arian Pasdar is an international correspondent for NTD News based in South America. His reporting focuses on immigration and key events in Latin America.

Arian Pasdar

NTD Plus

News

News with integrity, from the United States and around the world. Focused reports and analyses that shed light on major issues the world deserves to know. NTD Evening News airs daily at 6 p.m. ET.

NTD Evening News

Ukraine Says Russia Used North Korean Missiles in Latest Barrage Killing 13 Civilians 

Jason Blair is a national correspondent for NTD News based in California. 

Jason Blair

Justice Department Uncovers $350 Million in Alleged Fraud Across Southeast

Jack Bradley is a Washington correspondent for NTD News based in Washington, D.C. Jack previously anchored "NTD Newsroom" and worked as an assistant producer for the show. 

Jack Bradley

Trump Renews Criticism Over China's COVID Cover-up

Nikou Bani

GanJing World Hosts #BeKindBeCool Award Ceremony in Times Square

Christina Corona is a California-based reporter for NTD News. She primarily covers California news, politics, and entertainment.  

Christina Corona

FBI Displays Drones Seized Across Los Angeles During World Cup

Jason Perry is an Army veteran and NTD's national security correspondent. Jason primarily covers border security, national defense, foreign wars, and veterans' issues.

Jason Perry

The Associated Press is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. 

The Associated Press

World News

International

Spain Deploys Military to Ceuta After Thousands of Illegal Immigrants Breach Morocco's Border; At Least 18 Dead

Cary Dunst is the news anchor for NTD Evening News. He is also the co-host of NTD Good Morning.


Cary Dunst

Trump's 'Freedom Haulers' Solves 2 Problems at the Same Time: Analyst

Dave Martin is NTD's Senior Sports Reporter and sports analyst. He also hosts "Data Hub" segments during NTD's special election coverage, "The Nation Decides."

Dave Martin

Police: Tony Romo Had Open Container of Alcohol in Vehicle

Jacki Thrapp is an Emmy® Award-winning journalist based in Nashville. She previously worked at The New York Post, Fox News Channel and has written a series of Off-Broadway musicals in NYC. Contact her at jacki.thrapp@epochtimes.us

Jacki Thrapp

Arleen Richards is NTD's legal correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers all major legal stories. Arleen holds a Doctor of Law (J.D.).


Arleen Richards

US News

State News

Georgia

Father of Apalachee High School Shooter Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

Sam Wang is a Washington correspondent for NTD News based in Washington, D.C. Sam covers politics on Capitol Hill, and U.S.-China relations. 

Sam Wang

Americans React: Should Congress Pass the SAVE America Act?

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 30)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 29)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 28)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 27)

Chris Beers is an NTD News anchor and political correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Chris co-anchors "NTD News Today" weekdays at 10:00 am ET.

Chris Beers

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 26)

Paul Greaney is an NTD news anchor and producer. Since joining the company in 2018, he has anchored the station’s flagship Evening News broadcast, launched the NTD Business show, and produced documentary reports on pointed issues. 

The highlight of Paul’s time in the field was his coverage of the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Paul Greaney

Full Episodes

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 25)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 24)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 23)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 22)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 21)

Tom Gantert is a reporter for The Epoch Times.

Tom Gantert

Melina Wisecup is NTD's congressional correspondent based in Washington, covering Capitol Hill and campaign politics.

Melina Wisecup

Politics

Executive Branch

Trump Uses Recent Speeches to Warn Americans of Resurging Communism

Juliet Song is an international correspondent exclusively covering China news for NTD. She primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus," covering U.S.-China relations, the Chinese regime's human rights abuses, and domestic unrest inside China.

Juliet Song

Shows

Fast, compelling, first-hand news from China. China in Focus airs Monday–Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET.

China in Focus

2.8 Million People in China Evacuated Amid Typhoon Bavi

NTD Newsroom comprises teams of reporters, editors, and producers assigned to cover breaking news and other stories.


NTD Newsroom

Breaking news and in-depth analysis from the United States and beyond. We bring you the latest updates, exclusive insights, and sharp discussions on the most pressing issues. NTD Newsroom airs Monday–Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET.

US Announces Visa Restrictions Targeting Cybercriminals

NTD Movies

NTD+ Movies

The Unrestricted War

Joseph Lord is a congressional reporter for The Epoch Times.


Joseph Lord

Congress

House Passes Legislation to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent

Troy Myers is a regional reporter based in St. Augustine, Florida. His background includes breaking, criminal justice, and investigative writing for local news, producing on a national morning newscast in Washington, D.C., and working with an award-winning, weekly investigative news program. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his dog at the beach.

Troy Myers

Courts

Appeals Court Upholds Block on Trump Order to Tighten Mail-In Voting, Citizenship Verification

Sen. Lindsey Graham Likely Died After Aorta Tear, Medical Examiner Says

Bringing you the latest videos, livestreams, and premieres.


NTD Videos

Label

Live

NTD+ Live

Trump Makes an Announcement on Freedom Hauler in the White House

Mary Man is a writer for NTD. She has traveled around the world covering China, international news, and arts and culture.

Mary Man

China News

China Floods: Thousands at Risk After Multiple Dams Collapse in Guangxi

Jackson Richman is a Washington correspondent for The Epoch Times. In addition to Washington politics, he covers the intersection of politics and sports/sports and culture. He previously was a writer at Mediaite and Washington correspondent at Jewish News Syndicate. His writing has also appeared in The Washington Examiner. He is an alum of George Washington University.

Jackson Richman

House Passes Defense Policy Bill That Attaches SAVE America Act

A U.S. Marine veteran charged with manslaughter for putting Jordan Neely in a fatal chokehold on a subway train in New York City in early May pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Manhattan on Wednesday.

Daniel Penny, 24, pleaded not guilty to second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in the May 1 death of Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man who was acting erratically and shouting at subway riders. Penny, with the help of two other passengers, pulled Neely to the floor and pinned him with a hold he learned during combat training.

The arraignment on the charges took only mere minutes. Penny, who was released on $100,000 bail in mid-May, was wearing a navy blue suit and only uttered the words "not guilty" before leaving the courtroom with his lawyers.

Neely's relatives say he suffered from worsening mental illness for a long time. He also had a lengthy criminal record including more than 40 prior arrests ranging from disorderly conduct to assault.

In November 2021, he was charged with punching a 67-year-old woman as she was exiting a subway station, leading to a warrant for his arrest that was still active at the time of his death. The woman suffered broken bones in her face after being knocked to the ground.

Penny, who served in the Marines for four years and was discharged in 2021, was caught on video putting Neely in a chokehold on the floor of a northbound F train. Neely lost consciousness during the struggle and was later pronounced dead at a hospital. A city's medical examiner ruled he died owing to "compression of the neck."
<h2>'I Just Couldn’t Sit Still'</h2>
In a series of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVdTPUsTS3Y">video clips</a> released by Penny’s lawyers, the Marine veteran recounted what he called "a scary situation," saying Neely was threatening to kill passengers on the subway. "I couldn't just sit still and let him carry out these threats," he said.

"The man stumbled on, he appeared to be on drugs, the doors closed, and he ripped his jacket off and threw it down at the people sitting next to me at my left," Penny said in the video.

"I was listening to music at the time, and I took my headphones out to hear what he was yelling," he continued. "The three main threats that he repeated over and over was 'I’m going to kill you,' 'I’m prepared to go to jail for life,' and 'I’m willing to die.'"

A passenger applies a chokehold to a man identified as Jordan Neely on the floor of a subway train in New York on May 1, 2023. (Courtesy of Juan Alberto Vazquez via Reuters/Screenshot via NTD)

Penny, who stands at six feet two inches tall, said that he was scared when encountering Neely—who was bigger than him—but felt that he had to do something when he saw him screaming in women's and children's faces.

"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," he said. "I was scared for myself, but I looked around, I saw women and children. He was yelling in their faces saying these threats."

Juan Alberto Vazquez, a freelance journalist who recorded the clip, echoed Penny's concern in a <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/05/03/manhattan-da-mulling-charges-against-vigilante-in-subway-death/">New York Post</a> interview last month, saying Neely had been threatening and screaming at other passengers "in an aggressive manner" while also complaining of hunger and thirst.

Neely's family attorney said in a statement that they believe Penny should face a more serious charge, claiming he "intentionally" chose to put Neely in a chokehold designed to cut off air.

"Daniel Penny chose, intentionally chose, a technique to use that is designed to cut off air—that’s what he chose—and he chose to continue to hold that chokehold minute after minute, second after second, until there was no life left in Jordan Neely,” Neely's family attorney Lennon Edwards said in mid-May.
<h2>Lawyers Argue Self-Defense</h2>
Penny's lawyers have said their client was acting in self-defense. His attorney, Thomas Kenniff, previously told the New York Post that he’s "confident" Penny "will be absolved of any wrong doing."

"Daniel [Penny] never intended to harm Mr. Neely and could not have foreseen his untimely death," the lawyers said.

A <a href="https://www.givesendgo.com/daniel_penny?s=01">crowdfunding campaign</a> launched by Kenniff's law firm to pay for Penny’s legal fees has accumulated nearly $3 million as of the time of reporting.

"Any proceeds collected which exceed those necessary to cover Mr. Penny’s legal defense will be donated to a mental health advocacy program in New York City," the firm said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, both Republican candidates for the 2024 primary, have supported Penny’s legal fund after he was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on May 12 on a charge of second-degree manslaughter.

Republican presidential candidate, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, speaks to guests at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition Spring Kick-Off in Clive, Iowa, on April 22, 2023. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

"We must defeat the Soros-Funded DAs, stop the Left’s pro-criminal agenda, and take back the streets for law abiding citizens. We stand with Good Samaritans like Daniel Penny. Let’s show this Marine… America’s got his back,” DeSantis said in a post on Twitter, which has been viewed nearly 12 million times.

Responding to DeSantis's video, Ramaswamy revealed in a post on Twitter that he donated to Penny’s legal fund, encouraging more people to do so to "restore the rule of law in America."

Rev. Al Sharpton and others angered by Neely's death, meanwhile, have compared the incident to the 1984 subway shooting of four black men by Bernhard Goetz, a white man who shot at the group of men after they allegedly tried to rob him. Goetz was eventually acquitted of charges in the shooting except for carrying an unlicensed gun. All four teenagers survived, though one of them was paralyzed as a result of his injuries.

<em>The Associated Press contributed to this report.</em>

Latest

NEW YORK CITY

SUBWAY

Videos

04_Top Stories

Premium Picks

New York

Latest Clips

Management

Lorenz Duchamps is a news writer for NTD, focusing primarily on the U.S., world, and entertainment news.

Lorenz Duchamps

02_Second Lead

Jordan Neely

Daniel Penny

Latest and breaking news, documentaries, movies, and lifestyle content on NTD+.
 
Empower your knowledge and elevate your spirit with NTD+, your go-to destination for truthful news, insightful documentaries, and captivating lifestyle content that enriches your life.

Marine Veteran Pleads Not Guilty in Chokehold Death of Jordan Neely

Stefania Cox is an NTD News anchor and national correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Stefania anchors "NTD Newsroom," and co-anchors "NTD News Today" weekdays at 10:00 am ET.

Stefania Cox

We present news that is truthful and based on facts, outside of the political fog. Instead of focusing on the negative things happening around us, our mission is to give our viewers a good morning with empathetic and uplifting stories. Our aim is to provide an antidote to negativity by shining a light on the best side of people. We speak to inspiring people who positively impact communities, pursue topics that represent our common human values, and will never miss an opportunity to bring you heartwarming stories.

NTD Good Morning

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (July 30)

News you can trust from the U.S. and around the world. Critical information and insight. We cover the stories that others don’t. NTD News Today airs Monday–Friday at 11 a.m. ET.