Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the same person responsible for indicting former President Donald Trump, is moving forward with charging Daniel Penny with the death of Jordan Neely, a homeless Michael Jackson performer recently killed on a New York City subway.
ABC News reports a spokesperson for Bragg said, “We can confirm that Daniel Penny will be arrested on a charge of manslaughter in the second degree. We cannot provide any additional information until he has been arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court, which we expect to take place tomorrow.”
Already, the 24-year-old former Marine’s attorneys, Raiser And Kenniff, P.C., have commented on the charges, claiming his innocence.
In a statement, the defense lawyers stated, “Mr. Neely had a documented history of violent and erratic behavior, the apparent result of ongoing and untreated mental illness. 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.”
Also, a crowdfunding effort for his legal expenses, set up by Raiser And Kenniff, P.C., has been set up via GiveSendGo.
Already, the campaign has raised $381,443, with multiple donations being one-time donations of $1000 or more. Many of those $1000 or more donations are anonymous.
According to the Washington Post, after being arraigned, Penny was released on bond.