Arizona Politics

Crane Demands Charges Against Daniel Penny be Dropped

Marine Corps veteran Daniel Penny is facing up to 15 years in prison for subduing Jordan Neely in a New York City subway. Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ) recently wrote a letter to NYC District Attorney Alvin Bragg demanding he drop the charges against Penny, saying, "As the Left continues to push the defund the police movement, it is imperative that you do not condemn and persecute Good Samaritans who are stopping criminals."

In May 2023, Jordan Neely entered the New York City subway and began threatening passengers. Neely was known to police with 42 prior arrests and had a history of mental illness. Penny approached Neely from behind and placed him in a chokehold for six minutes, after which Neely died.

As a result, Penny was charged with second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.

"Rather than arraign a U.S. veteran for manslaughter, you should be praising him as a Good Samaritan," Rep. Crane wrote to Bragg, calling the charges against Penny "immoral."

Additionally, Rep. Crane blasted Bragg as "soft on crime," allowing criminals off easy, and thus "Americans such as Daniel Penny are having to protect themselves and others now more than ever in the face of rising crime."

"To make matters worse," Crane continued, "anti-police policies and rhetoric have contributed to historic increases in resignations from police forces and creating recruiting challenges. New York City has been no stranger to this."

In November, NYC Mayor Eric Adams unveiled a new city budget that cut funding to NYPD training as the Big Apple deals with the migrant crisis, suggesting there will only be 29,000 officers for the entirety of the city by 2025.

Crane did not let up in his letter, accusing Bragg of using "taxpayer resources to abuse your prosecutorial authority to score political points," referencing the indictment of former President Donald Trump at the end of March for supposed hush money payments to adult actress Stormy Daniels in addition to the Penny case.

"As the Left continues to push the defund the police movement, it is imperative that you do not condemn and persecute Good Samaritans who are stopping criminals," Crane concluded.

Representatives Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ) are among the letter's signatories.

Grayson Bakich

Florida born and raised, Grayson Bakich is a recent recipient of a Master’s Degree in Political Science at the University of Central Florida. His thesis examined recent trends in political polarization and how this leads into justification of violence.

Recent Posts

Gallego, Kelly Secure Public Safety Funds for Rural Arizona

Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) have announced the securing of nearly $3…

12 hours ago

Stanton Urges Approval of Transit for Taiwan President

Representative Greg Stanton (D-AZ) spearheaded a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging the…

13 hours ago

Rebuilding Academic Confidence: Mary Belle McCorkle Academy's Summer Program in Action

Classrooms at Tucson's Mary Belle McCorkle Academy of Excellence that would often be empty during…

17 hours ago

Tucson Welcomes Latino-Owned Spanish-Language Newspaper Two Years After La Estrella’s Closure

Two years after the city lost its only Spanish-language newspaper, La Estrella de Tucsón, Tucson…

18 hours ago

SNAKEBITE— 8.5.25— Blackman for Resolution Copper— Kelly's MilCon VA Bills— Going Nuclear, FEMA Act of '25, Dems Won't Back Down, Much More...

Blackman for Resolution Copper State Representative Walt Blackman (R-7) wrote to the U.S. Forest Service…

18 hours ago

Trump Endorses Controversial Sweeney Ad, Boosting American Eagle Stock

After President Donald Trump openly supported American Eagle Outfitters' controversial ad “Sydney Sweeney Has Great…

18 hours ago