Daniel Penny’s Acquittal Pushes Support For Jordan Neely

by Sharelle Burt

December 15, 2024

Justice for Jordan Neely!

The acquittal of Marine veteran Daniel Penny has heightened a divide amongst lawmakers and activists as they search for the reasoning behind it, Fox News reports. 

Outrage poured in from civil rights groups like the NAACP and lawmakers, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Tx.), after Penny was acquitted on manslaughter charges regarding the death of Jordan Neely. Neely was killed in May 2023 after Penny placed him in a chokehold on a New York City subway train. Some say the 30-year-old mentally ill homeless man was allegedly shouting death threats, prompting Neely to restrain him with the assistance of two other passengers. 

Neely died shortly after. 

Following the acquittal on Dec. 6, the NAACP released a statement calling for accountability. “The acquittal of Daniel Penny in the death of Jordan Neely has effectively given license for vigilante justice to be waged on the Black community without consequence. It’s a painful reminder of the inequities in our justice system. Jordan deserved compassion. Instead, he was met with violence,” the statement, posted on X, said. 

“We stand with his family in calling for accountability.”

With Neely being accused of being high on a type of synthetic marijuana known as K2, Crockett pointed out that he needed help – not to die. “Jordan Neely was unarmed. He needed support and care. Instead, he received a death sentence. His family grieves while the man who took his life walks free,” she wrote. 

“This is more than a miscarriage of justice – it is a green light for more violence against unarmed Black Americans.” 

Co-founder of Black Lives Matter of Greater New York, Hawk Newsome, was present outside of the courthouse where the Marine vet was acquitted. After hearing the news, he spoke out, saying America “has failed” Neely and his supporters.

“This system protects every other group except for the very group that built this country. Every group that comes here gets benefits and gets privileges except for the very people whose fingerprints are on the bricks that built this country,” Neely said, according to the New York Daily News.

“There is no love for Black people. There’s no love in the system. How can you make a moral appeal to a people that have no moral code? How can you preach love to racists?”

It wasn’t too long before emotions circulated off of social media to network television. In a heated debate on CNN, conservative political strategy compared Penny to accused assassin Luigi Mangione, labeling Penny as “a good guy.” “People on the left can’t seem to tell the difference between the good guys and the bad guys,” Jennings said. 

Vice President-elect J.D. Vance seemingly agreed with Jennings. In an attack on New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg, he called the acquitted a “good guy” and invited him as his guest to the Army-Navy football game scheduled to take place on Dec. 14.  

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