2023-05-09 16:05:14
What you should know
- Jordan Neely, 30, died on a train at the station Broadway-Lafayette in Manhattan a week ago after allegedly threatening passengers and being suffocated by one of them. That passenger, identified as 24-year-old Daniel Penny, was questioned by NYPD and later released.
- The medical examiner’s office ruled Neely’s death a homicide, prompting a debate over whether the passenger’s actions were justified defense or surveillance. Sources say the Manhattan district attorney’s office could convene a grand jury to consider possible criminal charges this week.
- Several protests have been organized in Manhattan since the death of the 30-year-old man. In the most recent, nearly a dozen people were arrested and a Molotov cocktail was recovered from the ground in SoHo.
NEW YORK — At least 11 people were arrested, and a Molotov cocktail was seized, at Monday night’s protest over the subway strangulation death of Jordan Neely last week. This was the latest in a series of protests that have disrupted public transportation.
The events come as New York City awaits word on whether the Manhattan district attorney will file criminal charges in the case.
In all, at least two dozen people were detained between the most recent protest and one on Saturday in which crowds jumped onto the subway tracks at the subway station. Lexington Avenue and blocked the passage of a Q line train while asserting their right to peaceful protest. Senior NYPD officials issued a stern warning Tuesday morning about inciting violence.
Authorities said the individuals violated the laws. The group met outside the station Broadway-Lafayette where Neely, 30, lost her life last Monday. It was supposed to be a vigil for Neely. Around 150 protesters flooded into the immediate area, some holding signs demanding “Justice for Jordan Neely” and others calling for police accountability.
It was the first Neely protest where tensions escalated into violence, with photos showing blood-spattered faces amid a sea of civilians and NYPD officers in blue outreach jackets trying to defuse the situation. The uniformed woman used a loudspeaker to clear away crowds blocking traffic on the streets and at the entrance to the subway station.
As the crowd moves, the video at one point shows several officers huddled over something on the ground. It turned out to be a Molotov cocktail, NYPD officials said. No injuries were reported.
That weapon, in particular, evoked memories of the summer 2020 George Floyd protests in which flaming bottles were thrown through the windows of NYPD squad cars, hundreds were arrested, and dozens of NYPD officers were arrested. York cited for misconduct. And the police were quick after Monday’s demonstration to remind people of what is and is not within their rights.
“We respect the right of people to protest. We respect your First Amendment rights, but we will not tolerate breaking the law,” said New York Police Department Chief Jeffrey Maddrey. “More importantly, we will not tolerate people bringing weapons and dangerous substances to peaceful protests.”
The specific charges against those arrested Monday night were not immediately known, but Maddrey described the offenses as “various violations of the law.” Some questioned the police actions at the demonstration, especially around the arrest of a journalist who allegedly interfered with the NYPD response. Maddrey said the reporter, and others, were warned multiple times about potentially wrongful actions as they unfolded, and that police exercised restraint in making arrests.
“We understand why people want to speak up and protest. And we support giving people the right to speak up when they think injustice is happening. But we can’t allow people to go out and protest bringing dangerous substances like this,” Maddrey said of the firebomb “We really ask our communities, or people who want to come out and speak up, not to engage in that kind of behavior. They could hurt themselves. They can hurt members of the department, co-protesters and innocent people. And it’s really going to defeat the purpose.”
The events come as New York City again awaits a decision from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, this time whether to bring potential charges against Daniel Penny, 24, the former Marine seen on video putting his hands around Neely’s neck after the alleged disturbance on an F train on the afternoon of May 1.
Neely died a short time later.
Ana Ledo reports to us from lower Manhattan.
The medical examiner’s office ruled his death a homicide the next day, sparking a firestorm around Perry, who was declared a murderer by some of the same people who hailed him a Good Samaritan for his actions the day before. .
Two sources familiar with the matter say Bragg won’t make a decision on whether or when to protest a potential case until later this week. They say the investigation is ongoing. Officially, Bragg’s office has declined to comment on the Neely case, referring reporters to a previously released statement from last week.
“This is a solemn and serious matter that ended with the tragic loss of Jordan Neely’s life,” the statement said. “As part of our rigorous ongoing investigation, we will review the medical examiner’s report, evaluate all available video and photographs, identify and question as many witnesses as possible, and obtain additional medical records.”
MTA sources say the strangulation occurred while the train was stopped on the north side and the doors were open. There was no functional camera at the station platform level, they added. The NYPD is requesting images from several nearby stations and asking the public for witness statements or images that may inform the case.
Rafael Pujols with the details.
Debate over Jordan Neely’s death?
The growing clamor for justice has been reinforced by many who say they are angry and fed up with a system that failed Neely, who lived on the streets, acted like Michael Jackson while battling mental illness.
“Mr. Neely suffered from mental illness that began at the age of 14 when he experienced the brutal murder of his mother. It is a tragedy for all of us to learn that Jordan Neely’s life was also cut short. Mills & Edwards is committed to holding accountable the MTA and Neely’s killer,” attorneys for her family said in a statement last week.
During the deadly chaos, witnesses and sources say Neely was acting aggressively on the F train. They said he was hungry, thirsty and didn’t mind going to jail, but hadn’t attacked anyone before Penny killed him. would suffocate The New York Police Department and other officials have asked the public to submit any video or images that they can help.
Penny’s lawyers issued the first statement on behalf of their client on Friday, saying she “never intended to harm” the 30-year-old homeless and “could not have foreseen his untimely death.”
“When Mr. Neely began to aggressively threaten Daniel Penny and the other passengers, Daniel, with the help of others, acted to protect himself, until help arrived,” the attorneys’ statement read. “For too long, those with mental illness have been treated with indifference. We hope that out of this terrible tragedy will come a new commitment from our elected officials to address the mental health crisis on our streets and subways.”
Neely’s family, in a new statement Monday, called it a “guilty admission.”
Here the details.
“Daniel Penny’s press release is not an apology or an expression of regret. It is an assassination of character and a stark example of why he believed he had the right to take Jordan’s life,” the joint statement from lawyers for Neely’s family said. “The truth is, he didn’t know anything about Jordan’s history when he intentionally wrapped his arms around Jordan’s neck and squeezed and kept squeezing.”
He then continued: “It is clear that he is the one who acted indifferently, both at the time he killed Jordan and now in his first public message. He never tried to help you with anything. Anyway, his actions on the train, and now his words, show why he needs to be in prison.”
Since Penny’s identity became public, those seeking justice on Neely’s behalf have been trying to identify the two other people seen holding him on video.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office has yet to make an official statement.
Mayor Eric Adams has said the incident underscores what he says is the need to get mentally ill people out of the transit system, a push that began with fellow Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul in the early days. of his administration. Hochul has said that she is pleased that the district attorney’s office is investigating.
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