New York City Mayor Eric Adams said on Wednesday that Jordan Neely, who was choked to death on the subway “did not deserve to die.”
Neely, a 30-year-old homeless performer lost his life on May 1 after he was fatally choked, following a mental health episode, by another fellow commuter, Daniel Penny, a military veteran.
“My heart goes out to Jordan’s family, who is suffering great pain and uncertainty about the circumstances of his death,” the mayor said at a 14-minute City Hall address.
“Today, I’m here to talk about Jordan’s life before he got on that train. The circumstances surrounding his death are still being investigated, and while we have no control over that process, one thing we can control is how our city responds to this tragedy.”
“Jordan Neely’s life mattered. He was suffering from severe mental illness, but that was not the cause of his death. His death is a tragedy that never should have happened. My heart goes out to Jordan’s family who’s suffering great pain and uncertainty about the circumstances of his death,” Adams said. “No family should have to suffer a loss like this, and too many Black and Brown families bear the brunt of a system long overdue for reform.”
The Mayor did not mention Penny during his long speech and did not say whether the state will press charges against him.
“One thing we can say for sure: Jordan Neely did not deserve to die, and all of us must work together to do more for our brothers and sisters struggling with serious mental health illness” he said. “I want to state upfront that there were many people who tried to help Jordan get the support he needed, but the tragic reality of severe mental illness is that some who suffer from it are at times unaware of their own need for care.”
