Following a thorough investigation of the facts surrounding the unfortunate incident that occurred on a fateful day aboard a Brooklyn J train, a grand jury has rendered a decision that can be described as a non-indictment with regard to the charges of manslaughter and weapons possession levied against Mr. Jordan Williams, the accused individual.
This conclusion is based on a series of circumstances that sadly concluded in the premature death of Mr. DevictorOuedraogo, a 36-year-old man.
Prior to the sad stabbing occurrence, it is claimed that Mr. Ouedraogo, whose activities have been scrutinized, allegedly participated in an act of violence towards Mr. Williams’ fiancée, triggering a sequence of events that would unfold in the following minutes.
Furthermore, it has been brought to our knowledge that Mr. Ouedraogo was harassing other passengers previous to the aforementioned event, adding another layer of complication to an already difficult scenario.
In order to respect the values of fairness and justice, the Brooklyn district attorney’s office launched a rigorous and complete investigation into this extremely terrible case.
This rigorous investigation included a thorough assessment and analysis of a plethora of video records documenting the events as they happened, as well as interviews with every possible witness.
It is critical to emphasize that this evidence data, which served as the foundation for the district attorney’s office’s unbiased judgment, was given before the grand jury in a reasonable and equitable way.
So, today, we see the culmination of this difficult legal procedure, in which the allegations filed against Mr. Jordan Williams have been finally dropped. This judgment is the conclusion of a judicial investigation that sought to understand the numerous subtleties of a tragic tragedy that has left an everlasting impression on all those involved.
Jason Goldman, Williams’ attorney, said that his client acted in self-defense.
The grand jury looked to be in agreement.
“Under New York law, a person is justified in using deadly physical force when they reasonably believe it is necessary to use such force to defend themselves or others from the imminent use of deadly or unlawful physical force,” the DA’s office said in a statement.
‘I’m relieved that I can move on with my life.’
In response to the grand jury’s ruling, Williams claimed he was “scared in that situation,” according to NBC New York.
“I’m relieved that I can go about my life the way I want,” he added.
The fatal confrontation occurred just after 8 p.m. June 13 on a northbound J train as it neared Marcy Avenue and Broadway, according to New York police.
Ouedraogo was stabbed in the chest and transferred to NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, where he was declared dead, according to authorities.
According to law enforcement officials, Ouedraogo was pestering individuals on the train and behaving belligerently and irrationally.
According to a police officer, one of the persons he harassed was Williams’ fiancée; a source informed NBC New York that Ouedraogo struck her. It was unclear what precisely occurred before to the attack.
The case was compared to past tragic clashes.
Early on, the event was compared to the murder of Jordan Neely, 30, a former Michael Jackson lookalike who died last month after a Marine veteran reportedly choked him on a New York City subway train.
On the same day that Williams’ charges were withdrawn, Daniel Penny, 24, pled not guilty to second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.
Penny allegedly pushed Neely to the floor of a moving subway vehicle with the aid of two other passengers on May 1 and kept him in a chokehold for more than three minutes while yelling and asking for money. Neely passed out and was confirmed dead at a hospital.
This month, a grand jury opted to indict Penny on new counts, and his arraignment on Wednesday lasted just minutes. Penny, who is out on bail, stated simply that he was “not guilty” before leaving the courtroom with his attorneys.
Penny, who served in the Marine Corps for four years and was released in 2021, has said that he acted to defend himself and others from Neely, who was accused of shouting “I’m gonna’ kill you” and that he was “ready to die” or go to prison for life.
“He was yelling in their faces, saying these threats,” Penny stated in a video published by his lawyers before. “I couldn’t just sit still.”
According to Neely’s family and friends, Neely, who suffered with mental illness and homelessness, was pleading for assistance and was greeted with violence.
According to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, transit crime in New York City has decreased by roughly 8% overall, and the agency is cooperating with investigations into both events that drew national notice.
