Daniel Penny acquitted in subway chokehold death

A Manhattan jury on Monday acquitted former U.S. Marine Daniel Penny on one felony charge of negligent homicide, according to a statement by the district attorney's office. The judge overseeing the trial last week dismissed a felony manslaughter charge prosecutors brought against Penny because the jury could not reach a verdict on that particular charge.

What happened? A homeless black man named Jordan Neely entered a subway train in May 2023 and began making threatening comments toward passengers, according to witness testimony. Penny put Neely in a chokehold. Neely was declared dead shortly after the altercation. Penny’s lawyers argued that he acted in self-defense, as well as to defend the other passengers.

Dig deeper: Read my report in WORLD Magazine diving into the details of the charges against Daniel Penny.