NYC Subway Death Ruled a Homicide

Facts

On Wednesday, New York City’s medical examiner announced that the death of Jordan Neely, a man who had been shouting at people on a subway train Monday, was a homicide. Neely died from compression of his neck after a fellow rider put him in a lengthy chokehold.¹
A spokesperson for Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg said police and prosecutors are investigating the incident, which happened on an F train in Manhattan. A video appeared to show Neely’s head and neck being held for several minutes until the homeless man’s body went limp.²
The unidentified 24-year-old US Marine who restrained Neely was questioned and released by police. Although the examiner ruled Neely’s death a homicide, investigators will determine if homicide charges should be pursued.³
Police said Neely, who was reportedly known as a Michael Jackson impersonator who often busked on the subway, was acting in a “hostile and erratic manner” before the incident.⁴
This comes more than a year after New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced a plan to reduce crime and address homelessness in the subway system, including adding more people to deal with behavioral health.⁵

Left narrative, as provided by MSNBC. Tragedies like this are a result of policies that dehumanize homeless people across the country, creating an environment where people feel entitled to not only mistreat them but to use a potentially lethal hold on someone suffering an obvious mental crisis. Our society needs more compassionate policies to avoid future incidents like this.
Right narrative, as provided by Daily Wire. This is a tragic result of liberal cities' soft-on-crime policies that allow crime to run rampant, forcing average citizens to intervene. If cities were tougher on crime and police forces were better supported, citizens would be protected, and these types of incidents could be avoided.