New York City Mayor Eric Adams has spoken out in defense of Daniel Penny, a former Marine facing manslaughter charges for the death of Jordan Neely.
The jury began deliberations on Tuesday, and Adams seized the moment to criticize the media and highlight broader issues surrounding mental health and public safety.
In an interview with former gubernatorial candidate and radio host Rob Astorino, Adams expressed his support for Penny’s actions, emphasizing the challenging circumstances passengers faced during the incident.
“We’re now on the subway where we’re hearing someone talking about hurting people, killing people,” Adams said, according to The Daily Wire. “You have someone [Penny] on that subway who was responding, doing what we should have done as a city. Those passengers were afraid.”
Eyewitness accounts presented during the trial testified that Neely was threatening passengers on the train before Penny intervened, placing him in a chokehold to subdue him.
When police arrived, Penny released Neely, who was still alive and had a pulse at the time. However, officers reportedly refrained from attempting resuscitation due to concerns about contracting hepatitis. Witnesses noted Neely’s erratic behavior, describing how he made threats, soiled his pants, and caused women