Video footage of the incident, widely shared on social media over the past week and a half, shows the 24-year-old man, a former military man, holding Jordan Neely in a stranglehold for three minutes. According to witnesses, the homeless man had previously shouted through the subway car that he was hungry and thirsty and not much left to live for.
A coroner has since determined that the stranglehold caused the death of 30-year-old Neely. The suspect has stated through his lawyer that it was never his intention to kill Neely.
The case sparked several protests in New York, with participants demanding that the perpetrator be prosecuted. Neely’s death sparked discussions about the homeless and mental health crisis in New York and the rest of the United States, as well as racial inequality in the country.
Neely was a black man, the former soldier arrested for his death is white.
Review: Jordan Neely dies after being choked by Daniel Penny