‘I was trying to justify my actions’: Key witness who held down subway performer killed by fatal chokehold admits lying to police about being attacked

Daniel Penny arrives at the court after break in New York, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Daniel Penny arrives at the court after break in New York, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Eric Gonzalez, who helped accused killer Daniel Penny restrain Jordan Neely on a New York City subway in 2023, testified in court on Tuesday that he lied to police about his role in the fatal incident.

In May 2023, Penny, a former Marine, attempted to subdue Neely, a 30-year-old street performer who was allegedly acting erratically, by putting him in a chokehold for almost six minutes. Gonzalez was one of two other men who held Neely down on the ground while Penny held onto him.

The medical examiner ruled the manner of death as a homicide, caused by compression of the neck. Penny was indicted in June 2023 and charged with manslaughter.

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