Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Friday endorsed a fundraiser for Marine veteran Daniel Penny, who had surrendered himself earlier in the day to face a second-degree manslaughter charge in relation to the death of Jordan Neely.
“We must defeat the Soros-Funded DAs, stop the Left’s pro-criminal agenda, and take back the streets for law abiding citizens,” DeSantis tweeted with a link to the GiveSendGo fundraiser. “We stand with Good Samaritans like Daniel Penny. Let’s show this Marine … America’s got his back.”
We must defeat the Soros-Funded DAs, stop the Left's pro-criminal agenda, and take back the streets for law abiding citizens. We stand with Good Samaritans like Daniel Penny. Let’s show this Marine… America’s got his back.
https://t.co/uQXZuT19Mo— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantisFL) May 13, 2023
Neely, who was reportedly homeless, had a record of more than 40 arrests and a documented history of mental health challenges.
Witnesses reported earlier this month that Neely launched into an aggressive rant while on a New York City subway, ultimately leading to an altercation with Penny. According to witnesses, Neely began shouting that he was unconcerned about going to jail. In response, Penny applied a chokehold to restrain Neely, who died later.
“This morning, Daniel Penny surrendered at the 5th Precinct at the request of the New York County District Attorney’s office. He did so voluntarily and with the sort of dignity and integrity that is characteristic of his history of service to this grateful nation,” said Thomas Kenniff, an attorney for Penny.
Following protests surrounding Neely’s death, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office made the decision to charge Penny. Video footage captured Penny’s arrival at the 5th Precinct in lower Manhattan as he turned himself in to police. An arraignment for Penny is expected to take place on Friday afternoon.
Penny was charged with second-degree manslaughter. If found guilty, Penny could face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. The Daily Wire added:
The NYC medical examiner said last week that Neely died from a “chokehold” and ruled the incident a “homicide,” although criminal proceedings would be necessary to determine intent or culpability.
A statement from Penny’s lawyers said that he, alongside others, acted in self-defense to protect other passengers on the subway.
“When Mr. Neely began aggressively threatening Daniel Penny and the other passengers, Daniel, with the help of others, acted to protect themselves, until help arrived. Daniel never intended to harm Mr. Neely and could not have foreseen his untimely death,” the statement said.
