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DeSantis Rallies Behind Daniel Penny in NYC Subway Chokehold Death of Violent Man; Asks for Legal Defense Donations
Edited by: TJVNews.com
Shortly after Marine veteran Daniel Penny, 24, was charged by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg in the chokehold death of a violent and mentally unstable name named Jordan Neely on an uptown F train in New York City, he got a powerful – if not unexpected – ally: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, according to a report on the Yeshiva World News web site.
After Penny’s Friday arraignment on a second-degree manslaughter charge, DeSantis shared a legal defense fundraiser for the hero Marine and called him a Good Samaritan, the report indicated.
“We must defeat the Soros-Funded DAs, stop the Left’s pro-criminal agenda, and take back the streets for law abiding citizens. We stand with Good Samaritans like Daniel Penny. Let’s show this Marine… America’s got his back,” DeSantis tweeted.
The tweet links to a crowd funding page which states: “Funds are being raised to pay Mr. Penny’s legal fees incurred from any criminal charges filed and any future civil lawsuits that may arise, as well as expenses related to his defense. All contributions are greatly appreciated. Any proceeds collected which exceed those necessary to cover Mr. Penny’s legal defense will be donated to a mental health advocacy program in New York City.”
The YWN report indicated that Neely had a long, documented history of attacking people in New York City – the apparent result of untreated mental illness.
“When Mr. Penny, a decorated Marine veteran, stepped in to protect himself and his fellow New Yorkers, his well-being was not assured,” Penny’s attorney Steve Raiser said. “He risked his own life and safety, for the good of his fellow passengers. The unfortunate result was the unintended and unforeseen death of Mr. Neely. We are confident that once all the facts and circumstances surrounding this tragic incident are brought to bear, Mr. Penny will be fully absolved of any wrongdoing.”
Fox News reported that Neely, a 30-year-old vagrant, who once performed as a Michael Jackson impersonator, had been arrested dozens of times – including most recently for vicious assaults on subway riders, court records show.
In 2021, Neely hit a 67-year-old woman as she exited the Bowery station in the East Village in Lower Manhattan. Fox News reported that the woman sustained a broken nose, a fractured orbital bone, and “bruising, swelling and substantial pain to the back of her head” in the Nov. 12 attack, according to a criminal complaint.
Neely pleaded guilty to felony assault Feb. 9 in exchange for a 15-month alternative-to-incarceration program, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, as was reported by Fox News. He was supposed to stay in a treatment facility and abstain from drugs.
If he had completed the program, the felony assault would have been reduced to a misdemeanor, but he skipped a compliance court date and left the facility. Fox News also reported that a warrant was issued for his arrest on February 23rd. It wasn’t immediately clear how long he spent in jail awaiting the resolution of the assault case.
Court records show that Neely regularly lashed out at strangers on the subway and on the street, as was reported by Fox News.
From January 2020 to August 2021, he was arrested for public lewdness after pulling down his pants and exposing himself to a female stranger, misdemeanor assault for hitting a woman in the face, and criminal contempt for violating a restraining order. All three cases were dismissed as part of his Feb. 9 plea deal.
As for DeSantis, his tweet linked to a GiveSendGo page set up by Raiser & Kenniff, P.C., the law firm representing Penny.
Neely’s family responded to the statement issued by Penny’s attorneys, saying it was not an apology or an expression of regret, but rather a “character assassination and a clear example of why he believed he was entitled to take Jordan’s life,” according to the Fox News report.
“In the first paragraph he talks about how ‘good’ he is and the next paragraph he talks about how ‘bad’ Jordan was in an effort to convince us Jordan’s life was ‘worthless,’” Neely family attorneys Donte Mills and Lennon Edwards said. “The truth is, he knew nothing about Jordan’s history when he intentionally wrapped his arms around Jordan’s neck, and squeezed and kept squeezing.”
The attorneys also said in the last paragraph that Penny suggests that the public shows indifference for people like Jordan, Fox News reported.
“It is clear he is the one who acted with indifference, both at the time he killed Jordan and now in his first public message,” the attorney’s said. “He never attempted to help him at all. In short, his actions on the train, and now his words, show why he needs to be in prison.”
The city’s medical examiner determined that Neely died from the compression against his neck.
Prosecutors said that Penny has been fully cooperative with police and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, Fox News reported.
A judge ordered Penny’s release Friday on a $100,000 bond signed off by prosecutors and secured by bondsman Ira Judelson. Fox News also reported that Penny faces a maximum of five to-15 years in prison if convicted. He is due back in court in July.
Click on this link to donate to Daniel Penny’s legal defense fund. https://www.givesendgo.com/daniel_penny
