The tragic death of a man who was placed in a chokehold by a New York City subway passenger has been ruled a homicide.
On the afternoon of May 1, a 30-year-old man named Jordan Neely died after a 24-year-old Marine veteran placed him in a chokehold while on board an F Train in Manhattan, as reported by The Washington Post.
According to journalist Juan Alberto Vázquez - who reported on the incident via the Facebook page: Luces de Nueva York - Neely was allegedly yelling and ranting on the train before being subdued.
Vázquez claimed that he had been saying, "I don't have food. I don't have a drink. I am fed up," and "I don't care if I go to jail, and if they give me life in prison… I am ready to die".
A video of the disturbing incident has been shared on social media and shows the man - who was a known Michael Jackson impersonator - in a chokehold for about three minutes.
However, Vazquez alleged in his post that Neely was in the position "for about 15 minutes while other passengers and the train operator called the police".
The man was also restrained by two other passengers and then eventually lost consciousness. He was then rushed to Lenox Hill Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
On Wednesday (May 3), the medical examiner officially ruled Neely's cause of death as compression of the neck, and his cause of death a homicide. A spokesperson said: "This is not a ruling on intent or culpability, which is for the DA and criminal justice system to consider," per the publication.
Despite the ruling, the 24-year-old veteran - whose name has not been publicized - has not been arrested for Neely's death. This has sparked outrage among citizens who have gathered inside the East Houston and Lafayette subway station to protest.
They urged that charges be brought against the deceased man's accused killer and chanted "Jordan Neely, say his name" and "F*** [NY Mayor] Eric Adams," per The Independent.
In addition to this, Dave Giffen, executive director of the Coalition for the Homeless, remarked to ABC News that political verbiage in the local community has led to hatred.
"The fact that someone who took the life of a distressed, mentally-ill human being on a subway could be set free without facing any consequences is shocking, and evidences the City's callous indifference to the lives of those who are homeless and psychiatrically unwell," he said.
Public officials have also condemned the violent incident, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) who took to Twitter to write: "Jordan Neely was murdered. But bc Jordan was houseless and crying for food in a time when the city is raising rents and stripping services to militarize itself while many in power demonize the poor, the murderer gets protected w/ passive headlines + no charges."
New York State Sen. Julia Salazar (D) also stated: "A man named Jordan Neely was choked to death in public on the subway this week while people watched and even cheered. This is horrific. The constant demonization of poor people and people in mental health crisis in our city allows for this barbarism. It is making our city sick."
According to the NYPD, the investigation into the incident is ongoing. A spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office said in a statement: "This is a solemn and serious matter that ended in the tragic loss of Jordan Neely's life."
"As part of our rigorous ongoing investigation, we will review the Medical Examiner's report, assess all available video and photo footage, identify and interview as many witnesses as possible, and obtain additional medical records."
"This investigation is being handled by senior, experienced prosecutors and we will provide an update when there is additional public information to share," they added, urging anyone who saw the incident or might have information to call 212-335-9040.
