(LifeSiteNews) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had some fiery words for the New York City prosecutor after subway vigilante Daniel Penny was declared not guilty of criminally negligent homicide today.
“The acquittal of Daniel Penny is clearly the just and correct verdict,” DeSantis stated on X (formerly Twitter.)
“I must admit I was skeptical that a jury in New York City would reach a unanimous not guilty verdict, and the jury deserves credit for doing the right thing. Meanwhile, is there a worse prosecutor in America than Alvin Bragg?”
The acquittal of Daniel Penny is clearly the just and correct verdict. I must admit I was skeptical that a jury in New York City would reach a unanimous not guilty verdict, and the jury deserves credit for doing the right thing.
Meanwhile, is there a worse prosecutor in America… https://t.co/fVJJQTQQqV
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) December 9, 2024
Daniel Penny, then a 24-year-old former Marine, was riding the New York City subway on May 1, 2023, when a 30-year-old homeless man named Jordan Neely began to scream at and threaten passengers. According to one witness, Neely said someone was going to die that day. Others reported that Neely announced he didn’t care if he went to prison.
Reportedly, Neely threw his jacket violently to the ground and threw trash at the passengers, some of whom later testified that they were terrified. In response to Neely’s behavior, Penny approached the man from behind and put his arm around his neck in a move widely described as a “chokehold.” Neely lost consciousness while Penny was restraining him but was reportedly still alive with a faint pulse when police arrived. Neely was declared dead on arrival at a hospital.
On May 11, Penny was charged with manslaughter and in June an additional charge of criminally negligent homicide. The former charge was dismissed on December 6 and Penny was acquitted of the latter today (December 9).
Because Penny is white and Neely was black, the case touched off another conversation in America about race. It called to mind the death in custody of George Floyd in 2020 and the actions of Bernie Goetz, who shot four alleged muggers on the New York City subway in 1984. It also led to conversations about safety on the New York subway and the role of civilians (or men) protecting other civilians (or the elderly and women and children) in public spaces.