The man who killed Jordan Neely with a chokehold will be charged with second degree manslaughter New York prosecutors announced on Thursday. Daniel Penny was intially let go when he told police he did not intend to kill Neely, who he felt posed a threat to him and other passengers on a New York subway where he was acting erratically.
Penny, a 24-year-old U.S. Marine vet, if convicted may be sentenced up to 15 years in prison.
“We cannot provide any additional information until he has been arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court, which we expect to take place tomorrow,” the Manhattan district attorney’s office said in a statement.
Outrage over the death of Neely, a man who was homeless and had mental illness, sparked protests. Neely was a former Michael Jackson impersonator who had performed in the New York subway station.The arrest comes two weeks later.