Attorneys for the family of Jordan Neely have blasted a statement released by the firm representing the subway passenger who placed him in a chokehold.
On the afternoon of May 1, a 30-year-old man named Jordan Neely died after Daniel Penny - 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 a bystander, Neely was allegedly yelling "I don't have food. I don't have a drink. I am fed up," on the train before being subdued by Penny and fellow riders.
On May 3, the medical examiner officially ruled his 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.
The fatal incident has sparked protests across the city, especially on subway platforms. Many people are demanding justice for Neely and pointing out the system's failures in supporting people in need.
Perry's legal firm released a statement about his death and noted that the marine veteran "never intended to harm," Neely - who was a homeless Michael Jackson impersonator - and pointed out that he suffered from mental health issues.
As cited by ABC 7, the statement read: "We would first like to express, on behalf of Daniel Penny, our condolences to those close to Mr. Neely. Mr. Neely had a documented history of violent and erratic behavior, the apparent result of ongoing and untreated mental illness."
"When Mr. Neely began aggressively threatening Daniel Penny and the 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 added.
Now, attorneys for Neely's family have responded to Perry's legal team and stated that the message was an "admission of guilt" and neither "an apology nor an expression of regret".
"Daniel Penny's press release is not an apology nor an expression of regret. It is a character assassination and a clear example of why he believed he was entitled to take Jordan's life," attorneys Donte Mills and Lennon Edwards penned. "In the first paragraph, he talks about how 'good' he is, and the next paragraph he talks about how 'bad' Jordan was in an effort to convince us Jordan's life was 'worthless.'
"The truth is, he knew nothing about Jordan's history when he intentionally wrapped his arms around Jordan's neck, and squeezed and kept squeezing."
"In the last paragraph, Daniel Penny suggests that the general public has shown 'indifference' for people like Jordan, but that term is more appropriately used to describe himself," the attorneys continued. "It is clear he is the one who acted with indifference, both at the time he killed Jordan and now in his first public message."
"He never attempted to help him at all. In short, his actions on the train, and now his words, show why he needs to be in prison," they concluded, adding, "Mayor Eric Adams, give us a call.
"The family wants you to know Jordan matters. You seem to think others are more important than him."
According to Neely's aunt, Carolyn Neely, her nephew descended into "a complete mess" after his mother, Christie Neely, was reportedly strangled to death and then stuffed into a suitcase in 2007 when he was just 14.
It was after this that he sunk into a deep depression, and did not receive appropriate treatment for his mental illness, per The New York Post.
"My sister Christie was murdered in ‘07 and after that, he has never been the same [...] It had a big impact on him. He developed depression and it grew and became more serious. He was schizophrenic, PTSD," Carolyn stated.
"Doctors knew his condition and he needed to be treated for that. The whole system just failed him. He fell through the cracks of the system," she sadly added.
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