Daniel Penny's lawyer speaks after acquittal in NYC subway chokehold case

WNYC News

Steven Raiser, an attorney for Daniel Penny, talks to WNYC after Penny was acquitted of criminal charges Monday. Penny was charged with causing Jordan Neely’s death when he held him in a chokehold for several minutes on an uptown F train in the spring of 2023.

Witnesses said Neely, a former Michael Jackson impersonator who had schizophrenia, started yelling threats after he boarded the train. Penny, a former Marine, held Neely in a chokehold on the floor of the train for about six minutes, according to evidence presented during the proceedings. Neely was pronounced dead soon after.

Prosecutors in the criminal case argued Penny went “way too far” and held onto Neely’s neck for longer than he needed to, killing him. Penny’s attorneys said he was trying to protect himself and his fellow passengers and argued that Penny’s actions may not have directly caused Neely’s death.