Two weeks ago, Jordan Neely, a homeless and mentally disturbed 30 year-old black man acting erratically on a New York City subway car, was tackled and placed in a choke hold by Daniel Penny, a 24 year-old white Marine veteran. Reports say that Penny held Neely in that position for about 15 minutes, and was helped in restraining Neely by other passengers. Neely died, and Penny has now been charged with second degree manslaughter by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, best known until now for having charged Donald Trump with nearly three dozen felonies as a result of what are alleged to be campaign finance violations. Bragg brought the charges against Penny without having taken the case to a grand jury, although a grand jury investigation is likely before the case proceeds much farther.
From what I have heard, the other passengers are pretty unanimous in Penny’s defense, not to mention the physical help they gave Penny during the incident. That would seem fairly strong evidence that they saw the exact same danger Penny did.
It will be interesting to see the coroner’s report and the toxicology.
Excellent post. One quick thought. Yes, John McWhorter is often comparatively moderate, and he indeed has some reasonable things to say in the column cited by Bill. But note that McWhorter also says the following: "Nothing Neely did remotely justified this fate. The fact that Penny, as of this writing, has not been arrested pending more information seems unconscionable regardless of legal niceties. Based on what is known, it seems obvious that cutting off someone’s oxygen supply for so long would risk killing him — especially following the notorious choking deaths of Eric Garner and, more recently, George Floyd." Of course, Penny has now been charged, likely due to pressure brought by a mob taking over the subway tracks and commentators such as McWhorter. The facts aren't in (among other things, we don't even have the toxicology results); as Bill rightly says, "so many important facts [are] unknown." Bragg rushed to judgment. So did McWhorter. I can pretty well guess what's behind Bragg's unseemly haste. I'd very much like to think that McWhorter for whom, like Bill, I ordinarily have much respect, didn't feel pressured by notions of "racial solidarity."
From what I have heard, the other passengers are pretty unanimous in Penny’s defense, not to mention the physical help they gave Penny during the incident. That would seem fairly strong evidence that they saw the exact same danger Penny did.
It will be interesting to see the coroner’s report and the toxicology.
Excellent post. One quick thought. Yes, John McWhorter is often comparatively moderate, and he indeed has some reasonable things to say in the column cited by Bill. But note that McWhorter also says the following: "Nothing Neely did remotely justified this fate. The fact that Penny, as of this writing, has not been arrested pending more information seems unconscionable regardless of legal niceties. Based on what is known, it seems obvious that cutting off someone’s oxygen supply for so long would risk killing him — especially following the notorious choking deaths of Eric Garner and, more recently, George Floyd." Of course, Penny has now been charged, likely due to pressure brought by a mob taking over the subway tracks and commentators such as McWhorter. The facts aren't in (among other things, we don't even have the toxicology results); as Bill rightly says, "so many important facts [are] unknown." Bragg rushed to judgment. So did McWhorter. I can pretty well guess what's behind Bragg's unseemly haste. I'd very much like to think that McWhorter for whom, like Bill, I ordinarily have much respect, didn't feel pressured by notions of "racial solidarity."