May 11 (UPI) — The man who killed Jordan Neely with a chokehold on a New York City subway last week will face charges.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday that 24-year-old Daniel Penny will be charged with second-degree manslaughter in the killing of 30-year-old Neely, The New York Times reports.
“We cannot provide any additional information until he has been arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court, which we expect to take place tomorrow,” the district attorney’s office said in a statement.
Penny, a former U.S. Marine, placed Neely in a chokehold after he and other passengers reportedly observed Neely acting erratically on May 1. Penny was not immediately arrested, causing public backlash and calls for charges. Penny was interviewed by police following the killing but was released afterward.
Video of the killing showed Penny choking Neely for 50 seconds after Neely stopped moving. Penny’s attorneys Steven M. Raiser and Thomas A. Kenniff said in a statement that Penny and others on the train were trying to protect themselves “until help arrived.”
Neely’s death was ruled a homicide by the New York City Medical Examiner.
Penny is expected to turn himself in on Friday. Second-degree manslaughter carries a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, as well as a potential fine.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Mayor Eric Adams said Neely struggled with tragedy and trauma, referring to the killing of his mother Christine Neely in 2007. Jordan Neely was 14 at the time.
“Jordan’s death has devastated his family and shocked his fellow New Yorkers,” Adams said. “One thing we can say for sure: Jordan Neely did not deserve to die.”
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