The lawyer revealed the name of the man who strangled the brawler in the subway: what is known about him

The former US Marine who strangled Jordan Neely in a New York subway car has been identified as 24-year-old Daniel James Penny. The Independent writes about it.

Neely’s death was ruled by a New York forensic examination as homicide by strangulation. Video footage and eyewitness accounts show a man believed to be Mr. Penny strangles Nili with his hand for several minutes until his eyes close and his body goes limp.

According to the incident report, NYPD officers attempted to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation upon the F train’s arrival at the Broadway-Lafayette platform in Manhattan on May 1. Neely was pronounced dead at Lenox Health Greenwich Village Hospital.

Penny’s lawyers said in a May 5 statement that when Neely “began to aggressively threaten Daniel Penny and other passengers, Daniel acted to protect himself until help arrived.”

“Daniel never intended to harm Mr. Neely and could not have foreseen his untimely death,” the statement said. “For too long, those suffering from mental illness have been treated with indifference. We hope that because of this horrific tragedy, our elected officials will make a new commitment to addressing the mental health crisis on our streets and subways.”

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The Independent and other news outlets confirmed Penny’s identity earlier on May 5 after online sleuths first discovered his name. Several news outlets, including The New York Post and The New York Daily News, reported attempts to contact him for comment earlier in the week or published details about his military history but withheld his name from the public.

Neely’s previous criminal record and family history has been widely publicized in tabloids and mainstream news outlets.

An NYPD spokesman was unable to provide commentary or identify the person in the video; the police cannot reveal a person’s identity unless they are wanted or in custody.

A circulated video footage taken by journalist Juan Alberto Vasquez shows a man believed to be Mr. Penny and two other men holding Nili on the floor of a May 1 train car.

The police first questioned but did not arrest Mr. Penny. He was not charged with a crime.

Penny presented his version of events to investigators.

He also hired lawyers from Raiser and Kenniff, whose founding partners both served in the military.

According to US Marine Corps records and a LinkedIn profile, Penny joined the Marine Corps in 2017 after graduating from high school in West Islip.

Records confirm Penny’s former address at Camp LeJeune Marine Base in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Served as an infantryman and sergeant.

He retired from the Marine Corps in 2021. He wrote on a service job site that his military experience helped him discover that he was “passionate about helping and connecting with different people from all over the world.”

When he boarded the subway on May 1, Neely, a street performer turned homeless, complained of hunger and thirst, Vasquez said.

He wrote that Neely was yelling and said he was tired, he didn’t care if he went to jail, and that he was ready to die. He said that Neely threw his jacket on the floor of the car before another passenger grabbed his head. Others grabbed his hands.

In a video taken by an eyewitness from a train car, a passenger is heard warning a man who is holding Nili with a chokehold.

“You don’t want to be charged with murder,” the man can be heard saying. “You’ve got a hell of a chokehold, dude.”

As ForumDaily New York previously wrote: