The trial of former Marine Daniel Penny has come to an end, with the jury unable to reach a verdict on the charge of manslaughter for Penny's possible role in the death of Jordan Neely in a New York City subway last May. Representative Eli Crane (R-FL) has come out in support of Penny, to the point of tapping him for a Congressional gold medal in a resolution he has introduced.
In the subway incident, a homeless man named Jordan Neely, who suffered from schizophrenia and was intoxicated from a drug known as K-2, verbally threatened passengers that he would kill them, supposedly saying, "I’m gonna kill everybody. I’m gonna go to prison forever. I don’t care. I’m gonna do this."
Neely had previously been arrested 42 times, including four incidents of assault, and had an active warrant out for his arrest in relation to a 2021 attack.
During the May incident, Neely then began advancing toward a woman and her young child, prompting Penny to subdue him with a chokehold, which lasted for nearly six minutes, which the prosecution argued was what killed Neely.
Defense clinical pathologist Satish Chundru argued that Neely's cause of death came from several factors, including "the combined effects" of synthetic marijuana, schizophrenia, his struggle and restraint, and a blood condition that can lead to fatal complications during exertion," as NewsNation reported.
Additionally, the defense argued that Penny only held Neely down long enough to prevent him from being a danger to others but did not put enough pressure on Neely's throat to kill him.
The morality of Penny's actions has sparked debate, with many conservatives arguing that he did the right thing, a sentiment reflected in Rep. Crane's statement announcing his intention of awarding Penny the Congressional Gold Medal.
"Daniel Penny’s actions exemplify what it means to stand against the grain to do right in a world that rewards moral cowardice. Our system of 'justice' is fiercely corrupt, allowing degenerates to steamroll our laws and our sense of security, while punishing the righteous. Mr. Penny bravely stood in the gap to defy this corrupt system and protect his fellow Americans. I’m immensely proud to introduce this resolution to award him with the Congressional Gold Medal to recognize his heroism," said Rep. Crane.
