Mayor Eric Adams insisted Thursday that the probe into Jordan Neely’s subway chokehold death needed to “follow its course” — after critics accused Hizzoner of having a tepid response to the mentally ill homeless man’s demise.
Authorities are investigating the violent encounter — which has been ruled a homicide — and weighing whether to pursue charges against the straphanger who was filmed placing Neely, 30, in a chokehold after the disturbed man went on an aggressive rant on F train in lower Manhattan Monday.
“I have faith in the criminal justice system and I’m going to let the process take its pace,” Adams said at a press conference when asked about his response to the footage.
“I have been extremely clear that the district attorney and the police department, they’re doing their investigations and I’m going to respect that. There are many layers to this. Let the process follow its course.”
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was among those to quickly take aim at the mayor on Twitter for not immediately condemning Neely’s death as a “public murder.”
Adams dismissed the progressive lawmaker’s slew of tweets Wednesday evening as not “very responsible.”
“Those who believe I should do something differently, I respect that, but I have to make the right decision for the city of New York,” Adams said Thursday, adding he would offer up a stronger statement when “I feel it’s enough information.”
Meanwhile, Gov. Kathy Hochul said she was “pleased” the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office was probing the deadly incident — insisting the straphanger’s caught-on-camera actions was a “very extreme response.”
“You know, sometimes people have an episode where they’re displaying their feelings in very, in a loud emotional way. But it became very clear that he was not going to cause harm to these other people,” Hochul said.
Hochul noted that Neely — who, according to police sources, had “numerous” arrests on his record and more than a dozen prior run-ins with cops due to his mental health issues — was unarmed at the time.
“The video of three individuals holding him down until the last breath was snuffed out of him, I would say was a very extreme response,” the governor said.
Hochul added: “Just looking at the video, you know it’s wrong. No one has the right to take the life of another person.”
A witness who filmed the disturbing encounter told The Post that Neely was unhinged and yelling at passengers that he didn’t have any food or drinks in the moments before one straphanger, identified as a 24-year-old Marine from Queens, took him down.
Police said Neely passed out after being put in the chokehold. EMS were unable to revive him when they arrived, cops added, and he died at a hospital.
The Marine was taken into custody in the wake of the deadly encounter but was released without charges. He has not publicly commented on the incident.
The DA’s office has confirmed it is investigating the incident.
“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,” a spokesperson said Wednesday evening in a statement.
The spokesperson added that the office will provide an update “when there is additional public information to share.”