A violent confrontation unfolded on a New York City subway car on May 1, leading to the tragic death of a homeless man, Jordan Neely, after a Marine Corps veteran, Daniel Penny, intervened.

A witness to the incident has expressed gratitude towards the veteran’s intervention amidst the chaotic, frightening and dangerous scene.

According to the eyewitness account relayed to Fox News, Neely began his out of control tirade soon after boarding the northbound F train.

He started yelling incoherently and tossed his jacket aside.

Fear quickly spread among passengers as Neely escalated his threats. “He said, ‘I don’t care if I have to kill an F, I will. I’ll go to jail, I’ll take a bullet,'” the witness reported, adding that passengers started moving towards the exit signs in palpable fear.

Penny, the Marine veteran, intervened taking Neely to the ground in a chokehold to subdue him and stop him from threatening other passengers.

Two other passengers assisted Penny in restraining Neely’s limbs until the police arrived.

Penny, visibly distressed and shaken, stayed on the scene until the police arrived and willingly accompanied them for further questioning.

“Nobody wants to kill anybody. Mr. Penny didn’t want to kill that man,” the witness explained, recounting Penny’s remorseful demeanor after the incident.

The 25-year-old Penny was subsequently charged with second-degree manslaughter by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

After the announcement of the charges, Penny turned himself in, as reported by NewsNation.

Despite the charges, public support for Penny has surged, leading to the raising of over $2.5 million for his legal defense fund.

Newsweek reports that Neely had a criminal history of 42 prior arrests and an active warrant.

In a previous incident in November 2021, Neely assaulted a 67-year-old woman, inflicting her with a black eye and a broken nose, as per Fox News.

In a recent interview with Fox News, Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley urged New York Governor Kathy Hochul to pardon Penny. “He saw danger,” Haley stated. “He was trying to protect himself and the other people on that subway.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams received criticism from Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) for his delayed condemnation of Penny’s actions, arguing that Neely’s perceived social status might have led to a lack of empathy towards the victim.

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