Daniel Penny Chokeholds Jordan Neely For Six Minutes Leading To Death
- Jordan Neely exhibited distressing behavior on a subway train, threatening passengers and claiming he would harm someone.
- Daniel Penny responded by restraining Neely in a chokehold that lasted six minutes, leading to Neely losing consciousness.
- Witness testimonies and police reports indicate that Neely had a pulse when responders arrived, inciting debate over the incident.
On May 1, 2023, Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old Michael Jackson impersonator known to struggle with mental health issues, was riding a subway train when he began making threatening remarks, expressing his readiness to return to Rikers Island and stating that 'someone will die today.' In response to his alarming behavior, 24-year-old Daniel Penny intervened, placing Neely in a chokehold that lasted for approximately six minutes. Eyewitnesses, including 19-year-old Ivette Rosario, testified that she felt terrified and called 911 during the altercation. Another witness, Juan Vasquez, provided footage of the struggle, revealing that Neely initially resisted but became unresponsive after the chokehold was applied. Police arrived shortly afterward, confirming that Neely still had a pulse. The incident has raised significant questions about the appropriateness of Penny's actions in a stressful and threatening situation, highlighting tensions surrounding safety and mental health on public transport in New York City.