The dramatic trial of Daniel Penney continues with the first witnesses

More witnesses are expected to testify at Daniel Penny’s trial on Monday.

PennyThe 26-year-old former Marine is charged with second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. He is accused of fatally strangling 30-year-old Jordan Neely on the New York subway in 2023. Neely, famous According to reports, a Michael Jackson impersonator got on the subway and started threatening people. Penny allegedly approached him from behind and choked him.

Neely was later pronounced dead in the hospital His death was ruled a homicide due to neck compression.

Jury selection for the trial ended on Wednesday. On Friday, the prosecution and defense made opening statements.

Prosecutors argued Penny “went too far” when he held Neely in a choke hold for six minutes.

“Jordan Neely breathed his last on the dirty floor of an F train on the outskirts of the city – at the time of his death he was 30 years old, homeless, using synthetic drugs and suffering from mental illness,” Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Daphne Yoran said. introduction

The defense argued that Penny was trying to protect other riders from someone who was potentially dangerous.

“This is a case about a young man who did for others what we would want someone to do for us,” defense attorney Thomas Canniff said in his opening statement. “Words like “I’m ready to die. I’m ready to serve life in prison,” when these threats are uttered in a closed (space) in a moving subway car, you either hide your head and pray, or stand up and protect your neighbor. That’s what Danny Penny did.”

On Friday, prosecutors called five witnesses, including three NYPD officers Jurors were also shown police body camera footage of the incident.

In the video, the police officer asked Penny what happened.

“I kicked him out,” Penny said.

The video shows officers trying to revive Neely.

Outside the courtroom, protesters held placards calling Penny the “subway strangler.” Screams could be heard from the courtroom.

New York Supreme Court Judge Maxwell Wylie said he would tell jurors to ignore “the noise outside the courthouse”.

The trial is expected to last four to six weeks, Wiley said.

If convicted, Penny faces up to 15 years in prison on the manslaughter charge and up to four years on the negligent homicide charge.

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