New York City Mayor Eric Adams said on May 4 that social media-driven calls declaring a homeless man’s subway death a murder are premature and “very irresponsible,” responding to a claim made by a left-wing Democrat lawmaker.
Jordan Neely, who died after being restrained by other subway passengers, was reportedly yelling and threatening others on the train. A 24-year-old Marine veteran reportedly placed him in what appears to be a chokehold while other passengers restrained him.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) voiced outrage on Twitter on May 3 over the death of Neely, saying, “Jordan Neely was murdered.”
“But [because] Jordan was houseless and crying for food in a time when the city is raising rents and stripping services to militarize itself while many in power demonize the poor, the murderer gets protected [with] passive headlines [and] no charges. It’s disgusting,” she alleged, without providing evidence.
The New York City Medical Examiner’s Office on May 3 declared Neely’s death a homicide due to pressure to his neck. The Manhattan district attorney’s office said that it’s investigating.
“As part of our rigorous ongoing investigation, we will review the Medical Examiner’s report, assess all available video and photo footage, identify and interview as many witnesses as possible, and obtain additional medical records,” reads a statement from a spokesperson for the DA.
On the afternoon of May 1, Neely, 30, was yelling and pacing back and forth on an F train in Manhattan, witnesses and police said, when he was restrained by at least three people, including a U.S. Marine veteran who pulled one arm tightly around his neck, The Associated Press reported.
Video footage of the altercation posted online by a freelance journalist showed the man lying beneath Neely, holding him in a headlock position for several minutes as Neely tried and failed to break free. A second passenger pinned Neely’s arms while a third person held down his shoulder.
The freelance journalist who recorded the incident, Juan Alberto Vazquez, told the New York Post that Neely was screaming “in an aggressive manner” and complaining of hunger and thirst. Neely didn’t physically attack anyone, Vazquez said, adding that the Marine veteran approached the man after he threw his jacket to the ground.
Vazquez said the man screamed the words: “I don’t mind going to jail and getting life in prison. I’m ready to die.”
Not ‘Very Responsible’
Adams, also a Democrat, issued a statement on May 3 and called on individuals to refrain from making inflammatory comments until an investigation is completed.“Any loss of life is tragic. There’s a lot we don’t know about what happened here, so I’m going to refrain from commenting further,” Adams said in the statement.
“However, we do know that there were serious mental health issues in play here, which is why our administration has made record investments in providing care to those who need it and getting people off the streets and the subways, and out of dangerous situations. And I need all elected officials and advocacy groups to join us in prioritizing getting people the care they need and not just allowing them to languish.”
On the evening of May 3, Adams was asked by a CNN reporter about Ocasio-Cortez’s comments on Twitter.
“I don’t think that’s very responsible at a time when we’re still investigating the situation. Let’s let the DA conduct his investigation with the law enforcement officials, to really interfere with that is not the right thing to do,” he told CNN. “And I’m going to be responsible and allow them to do their job and allow them to determine what exactly happened here.”
Demonstrators were seen holding a vigil for Neely on the evening of May 3, and dozens of people shouted “Black Lives Matter” and comments denigrating Eric Adams, who’s black, on the platform. Neely is also black.
Rev. Al Sharpton, a longtime activist, demanded in a statement that Neely’s death be investigated as a potential case of manslaughter. Sharpton referenced the 1984 Bernhard Goetz case, in which a man was convicted of a weapons offense after he shot four black men on a subway train amid years of out-of-control violence and crime across New York City.
Andre Zachery, Neely’s father, told the New York Daily News that he hadn’t seen his son in four years. Zachery told the paper that Neely’s mother also died violently. Christie Neely was strangled in New Jersey in 2007, according to news accounts at the time. Her body was found days later in a suitcase along a roadway. Jordan Neely, who was 14 when his mother died, testified against his mother’s boyfriend at his murder trial.
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