Marine veteran Daniel Penny goes on trial for manslaughter in NYC subway chokehold death of Jordan Neely

Opening statements are underway Friday in the trial of the US military veteran accused of fatally choking a homeless Black man on the New York City subway last year, in a case that touches on the hot-button issues of subway crime, mental illness, race relations and vigilante justice.

Opening statements are underway Friday in the trial of the US military veteran accused of fatally choking a homeless Black man on the New York City subway last year, in a case that touches on the hot-button issues of subway crime, mental illness, race relations and vigilante justice. Daniel Penny, a 26-year-old former Marine, faces charges of second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in the May 2023 chokehold death of 30-year-old Jordan Neely. Penny has pleaded not guilty and argued he was acting to protect others. Neely had boarded a crowded subway in Manhattan and was acting erratically and loudly yelling, according to witnesses. Penny, who is White, then grabbed Neely from behind and put him in a chokehold, and he maintained that hold for about six minutes, including after Neely stopped moving, according to prosecutors. Neely was later pronounced dead at a hospital. A medical examiner ruled his death a homicide. Several minutes of the chokehold were captured on bystander video, leading to protests and calls for Penny to be arrested. Others have defended Penny’s actions and have donated over $3 million to his legal defense fund. Penny surrendered to police on a manslaughter charge nearly two weeks after Neely’s death, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced an indictment at the end of the following month.