The medical examiner of New York City has determined that a tube passenger was killed by a chokehold following a struggle with another passenger that was captured on camera. The cause of Jordan Neely's demise, according to officials, was the compression of neck (chokehold).
Neely was shown struggling while another man held him to the ground in the video. The 24-year-old US Marine who restrained the passenger has been questioned by police and released.
A homicide is a fatality caused by another individual, but it is not always a murder. Police and prosecutors must now determine whether or not charges are warranted.
After the ruling, Alvin Bragg, a spokesman for Manhattan district attorney, mentioned that as a part of their ongoing investigation, they will review the Medical Examiner's report, identify and interview witnesses, evaluate all available photo and video footage and obtain additional medical records. He added that this investigation is being conducted by senior, seasoned prosecutors, who will provide an update as soon as there is new public information to share.
The incident occurred on the F-line train in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan on Monday afternoon. On Wednesday, a rally was conducted for Neely on the train platform close to where he passed away.
The audience chanted "Justice for Jordan Neely," according to sources. They also chanted that if they do not get justice the trains should be shut down. A freelance journalist captured a video of an ex-Marine restraining a 30-year-old man by the neck for 2 minutes and 55 seconds on a train. The man was reportedly acting erratically. Two additional riders are seen to restrain his limbs. The individual is then observed lying motionless on the floor, after which all three let go of him.
According to police sources, Jordan Neely was throwing garbage and yelling at passengers. Neely was a Michael Jackson impersonator surviving on the streets. At approximately 14:27 local time (19:00 BST), officers arrived on the scene and discovered the man unresponsive.
He was pronounced dead at arrival when he was taken to the hospital. The incident was recorded by freelance journalist Juan Alberto Vazquez, who told the New York Times that the dead man was screaming on the train prior to being restrained.
According to Mr. Vazquez, the man shouted that he had no food or drink and that he was starving. He said he did not mind going to prison or serving a life sentence as he was prepared to die. The rider was intimidating, but no one had been assaulted, he said. Mr. Vasquez stated at the time of the incident that he did not believe the man would die.
Kathy Hochul, governor of New York, described the video as "deeply disturbing and causing a great deal of fear." She stated that the state would collaborate with the municipality to ascertain if homelessness and access to mental health services were a factor in this case. Despite the many unknown factors, the mayor's office issued a statement stating that they did not know that there were serious mental health issues here.
