Grand jury indicts Daniel Penny for chokehold death on New York subway

Manhattan prosecutors confirmed Thursday that Daniel Penny was formally indicted on second-degree manslaughter charges for the death of Jordan Neely, who he had placed in a chokehold on the subway. Neely, a former Michael Jackson impersonator, struggled with mental illness and homelessness. Penny is a former U.S. Marine. Authorities had already charged Penny with second-degree manslaughter but needed a formal indictment to bring him to trial. If convicted, Penny could face 15 years in prison.

What happened on the subway? Penny said that he was defending himself and the other passengers on the subway and that Neely had threatened to harm other passengers. Video footage shows two other subway riders helping Penny hold Neely down. Neely had been arrested multiple times in the past, once for assaulting a 67-year-old woman as she left a subway station. His death prompted protests in the city, calling for Penny’s arrest.

Dig deeper: Read Susan Olasky’s report from the WORLD archives about avoiding the hot takes in response to stories about killings.