Daniel Penny, 24, a military veteran who held Jordan Neely in a fatal chokehold on the New York subway that ultimately led to his death, says he ‘never intended to harm him.’Penny’s attorney said his client didn’t foresee the “awful tragedy.”
Pressure has mounted on authorities to press charges against Penny.
“We would first like to express, on behalf of Daniel Penny, our condolences to those close to Mr. Neely,” his lawyers said in a statement. “When Mr. Neely began aggressively threatening Daniel Penny and the other passengers, Daniel, with the help of others, acted to protect themselves, until help arrived.”
“Daniel never intended to harm Mr. Neely and could not have foreseen his untimely death,” the statement said. “We hope that out of this awful tragedy will come a new commitment by our elected officials to address the mental health crisis on our streets and subways.”
According to CNN, Neely had severe mental health issues since his mother was brutally killed and then found in a suitcase. Neely was only four 14 at the time. The media outlet quoted a friend of Neely, Moses Harper, who said Neely was struggling with his mental health.
