Daniel Penny is free. He was on trial for restraining Jordan Neely, a black man who was threatening people on the subway. Several people helped Mr. Penny, but Neely died soon after. It may not be accurate to say even that he accidentally killed him, because Mr. Neely was evidently alive when police arrived.
Events late last week did not look good. A hung jury typically results in a mistrial, but when the jury could not come to a verdict on a count of manslaughter, the judge agreed to the prosecution’s request to allow it to consider criminally negligent homicide. It looked like a blatant attempt by a blue-state judge to work with a blue-state district attorney to convict Mr. Penny of something, no matter what.
This was the prosecutor.
Absolutely insane, must-watch clip of Daniel Penny’s prosecutor Dafna Yoran. She talks about how she reduced a clear cut felony murder charge to (manslaughter?) because she “felt sorry for the past trauma” that the armed robber had endured. “Restorative justice” insanity. pic.twitter.com/KpJg8GHmt5
— captive dreamer (@captivedreamer7) December 4, 2024
The tactic failed. The jury acquitted him on the lesser charge, which means he is free.
Daniel Penny speaks to The Post following his not-guilty verdict https://t.co/ERxrpkAC9Y pic.twitter.com/ncUyudcxMb
— New York Post (@nypost) December 9, 2024
The late Mr. Neely had a long criminal record, was homeless, and was yelling at people on the subway. ABC News reported he was simply suffering a “mental health crisis.” If so, it had been going on for a very long time.
Video emerges of Jordan Neely using homophobic slurs prior to a violent assault.
The left’s latest hero. pic.twitter.com/fnNVnf7zWS
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) December 10, 2024
He had 42 prior arrests, an active warrant out for a 2021 incident, and a long history of attacks on subway riders. This included punching a woman in the face and exposing his privates to riders. He failed to complete an alternative-to-prison program designed to allow more leniency, but he was left free to roam. Neely explicitly stated “I will kill” during the fatal incident. Of course, all this does not disqualify Neely from being another civil rights hero. Such depravity did not disqualify Michael Brown, George Floyd, or others.
However, the verdict shows people may be tired of such antics. It was not only Mr. Penny who was helping to restrain Neely, nor was he without defenders. Other passengers said that they were afraid of Neely, and these included other non-whites. Still, there was an undeniable racial angle in this case, with a law-abiding former Marine who looks like the sculpture of The Dying Gaul putting down a criminal who should not have been free. It was a classic case of what our society’s values should be, compared to what they are.
Naturally, after Mr. Penny was set free, Black Lives Matter mysteriously became active again. This could be a harbinger for the second Trump Administration.
🚨#UPDATE: One protester says, “Y’all white people here have work to do, stay the f*** out of Black people’s business.” Then, a Black woman interrupts the Jordan Neely protest against Daniel Penny as they march through the streets of NYC, shouting, “Go in your neighborhood and do… pic.twitter.com/Uq7gk8ynSY
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) December 10, 2024
Separation is the solution, and it is what they say they want.
BLM says the departed criminal had “infinite worth,” like all blacks.
We need a world where empathy replaces fear, where compassion replaces violence, and where no one’s humanity is up for debate.
Jordan Neely deserved more. His life, like all Black lives, held infinite worth. We honor him by refusing to accept a system that turns away from those… pic.twitter.com/PkC1kAQhMB
— Black Lives Matter (BLM) (@Blklivesmatter) December 9, 2024
What exactly is that judgment based on?
The press conference after the trial also featured threats by Jordan Neely’s family and their supporters. “It’s a small world, buddy,” said Neely’s uncle to Mr. Penny. The uncle, Hawk Newsome, continued his tantrum outside the courthouse, calling for “black vigilantes” to rise against oppression and saying that racists should burn in hell.
BLM leader: “God damn America and those white people on the jury” pic.twitter.com/lduhgSF2QC
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) December 9, 2024
JUST IN: Jordan Neely supporter says Neely was k*lled for simply asking for food after Daniel Penny was found not guilty.
Neely demanded that passengers give him ginger ale as he threatened to start k*lling people on the subway.
BLM is currently threatening to burn down New… pic.twitter.com/n8RDC8Etdk
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 9, 2024
BREAKING: BLM leader Hawk Newsome calls for “black vigilantes” to get active following Daniel Penny’s acquittal pic.twitter.com/YoBUXOW9Yr
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) December 9, 2024
Jordan Neely’s father says “I miss my son.”
He abandoned his son at a young age, let him become a homeless, violent drug addict, and hasn’t seen him in years. pic.twitter.com/ntOBVUH2el
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 9, 2024
After abandoning his son when he was 2 years old, Andre Zachery got a second chance when Jordan Neely was 18 and wanted to live with his dad. His father locked Jordan out of the house when he wouldn’t give Zachery the money he earned performing on the subways. https://t.co/eX7xSzuXyp pic.twitter.com/8Ph15jAQYB
— Tiana Lowe Doescher (@TianaTheFirst) December 9, 2024
A civil lawsuit filed by Mr. Neely’s family, who did not seem to be very concerned while he was homeless and terrorizing people, is pending.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says that locking up Mr. Penny would make subways safer.
AOC: The subway will be safer if we lock up people like Daniel Penny pic.twitter.com/6R5SyndtHc
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) December 10, 2024
This is what Democrats have let New York City become. Absolutely revolting. I hope Daniel Penny is found innocent and gets the hell out of that shithole. pic.twitter.com/jhHfifwHKw
— Jaimee Michell (@thegaywhostrayd) December 7, 2024
Several blacks in Congress were also upset.
The acquittal of Daniel Penny in the murder of Jordan Neely is a painful reminder of a long-standing reality: vigilante violence against Black people often goes unchecked.
Jordan deserved compassion, not violence. We stand with his loved ones in demanding accountability. https://t.co/sShp8nd83v
— Rep. Summer Lee (@RepSummerLee) December 9, 2024
Dear White People,
I don’t know why I feel the need to keep talking to you. I don’t know why part of me still has hope for you and for us. Some of you are too far gone. But maybe enough of you aren’t and will join us in fighting to end white supremacy.
— Rep. Jamaal Bowman Ed.D. (@JamaalBowmanNY) December 10, 2024
RIP Jordan Neely. The justice system failed you. Kyle Ritenhouse and Daniel Penny are free. You’re gone. We must still fight.
— Rep. Jamaal Bowman Ed.D. (@JamaalBowmanNY) December 10, 2024
The outgoing congressman makes a revealing admission when he says who “my people” are.
Some left-leaning authors and influencers joined in the performative outrage.
Thank goodness the killer of a poor schizophrenic black man is free and the killer of a wealthy white death merchant is in custody
— David Klion (@DavidKlion) December 9, 2024
“The Rev. Al Sharpton is condemning a jury’s decision to acquit a white Marine veteran in the chokehold death of a homeless Black man on a subway train in New York City last May. Sharpton accused #DanielPenny, a 26-year-old who held 30-year-old #JordanNeely in a headlock until… pic.twitter.com/ff6h6PN3hx
— Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) December 10, 2024
TikToker claims that Jordan Neely was a “beautiful human being and an artist” who “didn’t hurt anyone” before Daniel Penny confronted him.
Newsflash: Neely was previously arrested 42 times including for assault and threatened people on the subway.
This is what happens when you… pic.twitter.com/BXfTeaioat
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 9, 2024
Jordan Neely deserved basic human rights: a safe place to live, enough to eat, and access to mental healthcare. He should still be alive today.
It’s time for New York leaders to seriously address the root drivers of homelessness and our chronic lack of mental health care.
— NYCLU (@NYCLU) December 9, 2024
The “Community Note” on the latter post points out that Neely was offered such healthcare — but he refused it.
The New York City government bent over backwards to help Jordan Neely. He rejected all of it and continued to pose a danger to residents. Sharpton’s remarks are — no surprise — BS. Read these excerpts from NYT: https://t.co/Jhu6O94Ssa https://t.co/mzDbRcYYTn pic.twitter.com/YTxV4xEVPw
— Byron York (@ByronYork) December 10, 2024
Some reactions from various blacks and leftists:
Being mentally unstable in America is unfortunate …. being BLACK and mentally unstable is a CRIME. Being a racist white man who thinks it’s HIS job to “fight crime” by murdering a man in a mental health crisis is applauded. Smfh. RIP to Jordan Neely. https://t.co/OVyqpj0DHX
— King Kenny’s Size 7s (@shezsoambitious) December 10, 2024
Putting someone in a chokehold for six minutes is murder RIP Jordan Neely
— NateDaGreatNYC (@NastyNateNYC) December 10, 2024
Gotta get out of “game showifying” civil rights issues. No winners in this clip, but CNN seems to have taken a stance on being a loser in media. RIP Jordan Neely, I hope the remainder of Daniel Penny’s life is filled w/ misery & it’s a shame Luigi didn’t get this Jennings guy too https://t.co/WKP8zDVmox
— L.L. Beanie Sigel (@O_Shaw) December 10, 2024
In Amerikkka, racist murderers like Danny Penny and George Zimmerman get away with murder and white people consider them heroes. Its the norm under the system of white supremacy. RIP Jordan Neely. #whiteculture
— Anti Black Racism (@AntiBlackRacism) December 10, 2024
Bluesky Libs react to Daniel Penny’s not guilty verdict with calls to defund the police and murder Penny and other white men. pic.twitter.com/4mNgcho6jK
— Bluesky Libs (@BlueskyLibs) December 9, 2024
The jurors who acquitted Daniel Penny say they’re receiving death threats.
They should stop whining since they think murder should be legal. It’s just people threatening to do something perfectly legal to them. What’s the problem?
— Olivia Hill (@machineiv) December 10, 2024
Daniel Penny should sue Vaush and every other leftist who is slandering him. https://t.co/ft4O46GmDf pic.twitter.com/Plui5olvEK
— Sólionath (@Anarseldain) December 10, 2024
The NAACP:
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… https://t.co/JOdxjZJXBi
— NAACP (@NAACP) December 9, 2024
The Community Note above is a welcome addition.
Yet overall, the response is muted. Black Lives Matter simply doesn’t have the kind of energy it once did, though the protests are likely to gin up again once President Trump is back in power. If even a deep blue New York City jury wanted to free Daniel Penny, that is a hopeful sign. If President Trump crushes BLM, he may win even more support.
The case is essentially the white man’s OJ Simpson Trial – except Mr. Penny actually did not do anything wrong. Many leftists seem to believe it is an inherent right to threaten people and cause chaos on public transportation, at least if you are black. Hopefully, they have now learned otherwise. We do not have to live like this.
