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Ex-Marine Charged For Fatal NY Subway Chokehold

    Ex-Marine Charged For Fatal NY Subway Chokehold
    Last updated May 12, 2023
    Image credit: Getty Images [via New York Post]

    Facts

    • On Friday, 24-year-old Marine Corps veteran Daniel Penny appeared in court to be charged with second-degree manslaughter in connection with the death of homeless man Jordan Neely on a New York City subway. No plea was entered.[1]
    • The former Marine turned himself into authorities earlier in the day, 11 days after putting Neely, who had a long record of mental health issues, in a chokehold for several minutes aboard a train in Manhattan, in an attempt to subdue him.[2]
    • This comes after the DA's office launched a probe into Neely's death following city-wide protests after police released Penny from custody without filing any charges in the immediate aftermath of the incident.[3]
    • Before Friday, the New York Police Dept. hadn't arrested anyone in connection to the chokehold despite the city's medical examiner ruling it a homicide, determining that Neely died from the compression against his neck.[4]
    • Penny, who reportedly told other riders to call the police during the fighting, was filmed restraining Neely around the neck for several minutes. Two other unidentified people were also seen holding the man. According to witnesses, Neely had been shouting at other passengers, but hadn't attacked anyone.[5]
    • Second-degree manslaughter, also known as reckless homicide, requires prosecutors to prove that Penny knew that the chokehold could kill Neely, unreasonably choosing to do it anyway. If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in jail.[6]

    Spin

    Left narrative

    Penny must be brought to justice for Neely's heinous murder. This shocking, racially-charged case reveals the worst of America's brutal capitalist society, including the pathologization of Blackness and the oppression of those perceived as mentally ill. Not only did Penny act as if he was entitled to take Neely's life, but he has also been carrying out a character assassination against the deceased.

    Right narrative

    This incident, which is yet to be litigated in court, is a direct consequence of leftist officials advising police to do nothing to protect New Yorkers that are fed up with being accosted on the subway. While this isn't to say that Penny is fully innocent, it must be stressed that Neely was far from being a harmless man as he had previously severely injured an elderly woman and tried to kidnap a girl. This case is hypercharged by woke identity politics.

    Nerd narrative

    There's a 50% chance that New York City's subway ridership will return to pre-COVID pandemic levels for the first time by May 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

    Political split

    LEFT

    RIGHT

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