Alvin Bragg considering charges over death of subway rider with violent history

By

May 4, 2023

Newsweek reported that a 42-year-old man named Jordan Neely died in New York City on Monday after being tackled and choked by fellow subway passengers. Neely had allegedly been shouting threats and acting belligerently.

According to The Hill, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is now considering whether to bring charges against the 24-year-old former Marine who choked him.

Neely was wanted for assault at the time of his death

Newsweek noted that Neely was arrested on 42 occasions between 2013 and 2021, including for four alleged assaults. He had an outstanding arrest warrant for assault at the time of his passing.

Neely's death has been met with outrage by many on the left, including New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

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.

It’s disgusting. https://t.co/YJeQp9bbgE

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 3, 2023

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander expressed anger as well, accusing the 24-year-old Marine of being "a vigilante."

NYC is not Gotham. We must not become a city where a mentally ill human being can be choked to death by a vigilante without consequence. Or where the killer is justified & cheered. https://t.co/oQDnmItp83

— Brad Lander (@bradlander) May 3, 2023

Democratic mayor pushes back against leftist rhetoric

However, not all Democrats have had the same response. New York Mayor Eric Adams pushed back against Ocasio-Cortez's comments during an appearance on "CNN Primetime."

I asked @NYCMayor Eric Adams to respond to comments from @AOC and @bradlander regarding the death of #JordanNeely on the NYC subway Monday. Here's what he said:

"I don't think that's very responsible at a time when we're still investigating the situation."@CNN #CNNPrimetime pic.twitter.com/NNkBjrexef

— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) May 4, 2023

"I don’t think that’s very responsible at a time when we’re still investigating the situation. Let’s let the DA conduct his investigation with the law enforcement officials, to really interfere with that is not the right thing to do," Adams said.

"And I’m going to be responsible and allow them to do their job and allow them to determine what exactly happened here," he added.

Some figures attempt to racialize incident

Meanwhile, podcast host Toure attempted to paint the incident in racial terms, tweeting, "I see a lot of white people put their comfort ahead of a Black homeless person's right to live."

I see a lot of white people put their comfort ahead of a Black homeless person's right to live. NYers shouldn't have to deal with mentally ill people yelling incoherently on the subway but in a city of 8 million it happens all the time. We generally don't murder people over that.

— Touré (@Toure) May 3, 2023

However, other Twitter users pointed out that Toure appeared to justify the 2021 killing of an elderly white man who had allegedly used a racial slur.