MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: Jordan Neely, who died from a chokehold in a New York subway station, had a criminal history that included around 42 arrests. The death of Neely, a homeless man who used to impersonate Michael Jackson around the subway, sparked an explosion of reactions after a video of the encounter went viral online.
Neely, 30, was restrained by at least three passengers while moving around the F train in Manhattan on Monday, May 1, according to police and witnesses. A freelance journalist posted a video of the event online, showing a US Marine veteran holding Neely in a headlock for many minutes as Neely attempted to break free, according to Newsweek. The encounter caused Neely to lose consciousness, and a hospital coroner later declared him dead. The 24-year-old former Marine was arrested and then released without being charged. He hasn't been identified in the public eye.
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How has Jordan Neely's death been received?
Some people have criticized the incident as a fatal overreaction to a mentally ill person, while others have defended the Marine veteran. On Wednesday, May 3, protesters flocked to the station where the incident took place to call for an arrest.
The Open Hearts Initiative's director of organizing, Sara Newman, stated, "Jordan Neely's murder is the direct result of efforts to dehumanize and demonize New Yorkers who are experiencing homelessness, living with mental illness or just existing in the world as Black and poor," according to Newsweek.
What were the charges that led to Jordan Neely's arrest?
A spokesperson for the New York City Police Department stated that Neely has been arrested 42 times between 2013 and 2021, according to Newsweek. Four assault-related charges were filed in connection with the arrests, along with allegations of transit fraud and criminal trespass. Neely also had a warrant out for his arrest related to an alleged assault that occurred in 2021 at the time of his death.
Meanwhile, Newman claimed that Neely's death "underscores a truth that folks who have lived on the streets know especially well: people experiencing homelessness or mental illness are at far higher risk of being harmed than of harming others. This killing is a horrifying reminder of how people's perception of safety—feeling uncomfortable or unsettled by another person's behavior—is used to justify very real harm," according to Newsweek.
'He didn't deserve to get executed by a random person'
A supporter of the homeless claimed on Twitter that Neely's past criminal history does not excuse what transpired to him on the subway. The Twitter user wrote, "Being homeless is illegal in the US. Loitering, pan handling, trespassing, open containers in public, public urination, + dozens of other crimes are used as an excuse to arrest ppl who don't have a place to live and public facilities to use."
The user wrote in a Twitter thread, "A lot of people don't have criminal records until they become unhoused - or become unhoused after their first charge that keeps them from being able to find a place to live. Then they get more and more charges due to the nature of the criminalization of the poor + survival."
A lot of people don't have criminal records until they become unhoused - or become unhoused after their first charge that keeps them from being able to find a place to live. Then they get more and more charges due to the nature of the criminalization of the poor + survival.
— Housing 4 All is Hot (@ahouse4all) May 3, 2023
"Even if he had 40 murder charges (which he didn't -because no one racks up 40 charges unless they're minor!!) he didn't deserve to get executed by a random person in a middle of a train for yelling about being hungry and thirsty," they continued.
The user added, "Post War on Drugs + ending up with the largest prison population on earth - we should be well aware that a person's criminal history is not a good judgement of their character or their value. It's a reflection on how much police interaction they have- and unhoused ppl have a lot."
Post War on Drugs + ending up with the largest prison population on earth - we should be well aware that a person's criminal history is not a good judgement of their character or their value. It's a reflection on how much police interaction they have- and unhoused ppl have a lot.
— Housing 4 All is Hot (@ahouse4all) May 3, 2023
Will Jordan Neely's death continue to be investigated in any way?
The Reverend Al Sharpton believes that Neely's death should be investigated as possibly being the consequence of manslaughter, if not murder. He cited the Bernhard Goetz case from 1984 in a statement, in which a white shooter was found guilty of a weapons charge after shooting four Black individuals on a New York City subway train. Sharpton said, "We cannot end up back to a place where vigilantism is tolerable. It wasn't acceptable then and it cannot be acceptable now," according to Newsweek.
This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
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