NEW YORK, NY. – In New York City over the weekend, mobs of left-wing protesters shut down parts of the subway system to demand justice for Jordan Neely, the violent, mentally ill subway rider who died last week while being restrained by other passengers he had threatened.
But lawyers who represent the man who applied the crucial hold to Neely sought to shut down any chatter that their client committed a crime — as Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez did in the immediate aftermath of the incident when she claimed, without evidence, that Neely was “murdered.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s claim was so over the top that even New York Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, called her out for being irresponsible.
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Neely died after being restrained by Daniel Penny, a 24-year-old college student and former Marine.
Leftists have seized on the situation as racially motivated since Neely was black and Penny was white.
In a statement released on Friday, Penny’s lawyers called Neely’s death a “tragic incident.” They also expressed condolences for Neely on behalf of their client.
But they then pivoted to suggest that Neely died accidentally after he left Penny and other passengers no choice but to act in self-defense.
“Mr. Neely had a documented history of violent and erratic behavior, the apparent result of ongoing and untreated mental illness,” the statement from attorneys Steven Raiser and Thomas Kenniff said.
“When Mr. Neely began aggressively threatening Daniel Penny and other passengers, Daniel, with the help of others, acted to protect themselves, until help arrived. Daniel never intended to harm Mr. Neely and could not have foreseen his untimely death.”
They also faulted city authorities for not being more proactive in keeping people like Neely from threatening everyday subway passengers.
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“For too long, those suffering from mental illness have been treated with indifference,” the lawyers added.
“We hope that out of this awful tragedy will come a new commitment by our elected officials to address the mental health crisis on our streets and subways.”
Retired New York Police Department Lt. John Macari, who now does a podcast called “The Finest Unfiltered,” which is about the NYPD, also told Fox News on Saturday that Neely’s death points to a failure in public safety.
“You have people commuting on a train who have to deal with mentally ill people who are a danger to themselves and others,” Macari said. “But there are no cops on the subway platform — even though the NYPD has a larger budget than some countries in the world.”
The medical examiner has ruled Neely’s death a homicide, and Penny was taken into custody and released.
Neely, meanwhile, had at least 42 arrests, including at least four for assault. He was wanted for an active warrant for an assault from 2021, when he died.
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