Closing arguments are set to be held in the trial of a Marine veteran charged with recklessly choking to death a mentally ill, homeless man on a New York subway
Closing arguments are set for Monday in the trial of a military veteran charged with recklessly choking to death a mentally ill, homeless man after an outburst on a New York subway.
Daniel Penny has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in the May 2023 death of Jordan Neely. Penny claims he acted in self-defense against threatening behavior.
His reaction to Neely touched raw nerves and fueled debate about race relations, public safety, urban life and different approaches to crime, homelessness and mental illness.
Some in New York and around the country see Penny, a 26-year-old Marine veteran turned architecture student, as a valiant protector of fellow subway riders who feared the erratic Neely was on the verge of violence. Others view Penny as a white vigilante who summarily killed a Black man who was in need of help.
Neely, 30, once was among the city’s corps of subway and street performers and was known for his Michael Jackson impersonations.
