A New York jury acquitted Marine veteran Daniel Penny of criminally negligent homicide in the May 2023 death of subway performer Jordan Neely.
The verdict came after five days of deliberation and was highly anticipated, according to NBC New York.
Last week, a judge dropped the manslaughter charge against Penny when the jury failed to reach a unanimous decision. This prevented them from considering the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide until the primary charge was settled.
“It really, really hurts,” Neely’s father, Andre Zachery said, sccordong to AP News.“ I had enough of this. The system is rigged.”
After the verdict, prosecutors and Penny’s attorneys made no immediately comment, while Penny hurried to a waiting car.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Penny was charged last year after he put Neely in a chokehold, resulting in Neely’s death. According to Penny’s lawyers, Neely was screaming and threatening others on May 1, 2023, when Penny put him in a chokehold to subdue him.
Penny argued he didn’t intend to kill Neely, but instead, tried to protect himself and others.
Feature Photo: Daniel Penny leaves Manhattan Criminal Court on Friday, May 12, 2023, in New York. Penny, 24, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, appeared in court hours after turning himself in at a police station after prosecutors said they were charging him in connection with the May 1 death of Jordan Neely. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman)]
