A US Navy veteran expressed no remorse and felt «entitled» to kill Jordan Neely on a New York City subway train, the homeless man’s family said Monday.
Attorneys for 24-year-old Daniel J. Penny defended their client Friday, saying Neely had been «aggressively threatening» his client and other passengers aboard an F train in Manhattan last week.
Representatives for Neely’s family responded Monday, saying Penny had no regard for her loved one’s life.
«Daniel Penny’s press release is not an apology or an expression of regret,» said a statement from attorneys representing Neely’s family. «It’s an assassination of character and a clear example of why he believed he had the right to take Jordan’s life,» he said. the attorneys, Donte Mills and Lennon Edwards.
Penny’s attorneys could not immediately be reached for comment Monday.
They said Friday that Neely had long suffered from mental illness and had a documented history of violent and erratic behavior.
But Neely’s family responded Monday, saying Penny could not have known of her loved one’s past struggles before applying a chokehold. When police arrived at the subway where the confrontation took place, Neely was unconscious and died at the scene.
«The truth is that he knew nothing of Jordan’s history when he intentionally wrapped his arms around Jordan’s neck and squeezed and kept squeezing,» the Mills and Edwards statement said.
“He never tried to help him at all. In short, his actions on the train, and now his words, show why he needs to be in prison, ”the lawyers said.
Penny was questioned by police, released, and has not been charged with any crime.
valeriya antonshchuk contributed.