Supporters of Daniel Penny, the Long Island Marine veteran arrested for the chokehold death of Jordan Neely earlier this month, squared off with hecklers Wednesday in front of Manhattan Criminal Court.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman organized the rally to drum up support for Penny, who was recently charged with manslaughter for the May 1 death of Neely. The provocative display came as Neely’s death has divided the city, raising questions about subway safety and the right to self-defense.
Blakeman said he brought the rally to Manhattan in support of Penny, who is from Suffolk County, rather than Nassau County, where he was elected, because his constituents work there.
“Every day, tens of thousands of Nassau County residents commute to New York City to do jobs, to explore entertainment, to go to cultural sites, to enjoy everything that Manhattan has to offer,” he said. “But I’m worried about that. I’m worried about our Nassau County residents … good Samaritans should be encouraged.”
Rally attendee Vince McGowan, 78, said he believes Penny was carrying out a moral responsibility to “react when somebody is in need.”
“[Neely] was terrorizing people. [Penny] was acting as a good Samaritan,” said McGowan, a Marine veteran from Manhattan. “Being a good Samaritan should not be something that people should fear being prosecuted for.”
Blakeman criticized Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for prosecuting Penny, saying the 24-year-old was trying to help those around him by addressing a man who was “acting in a violent manner that made the people who are riding the subway feel unsafe. “
“[Bragg] puts the rights of criminals over those of law-abiding citizens and victims of crimes,” the pol fumed.
The rally came just days after the funeral for Neely, 30, was held in Harlem. Speakers at the downtown rally, including Councilwoman Vickie Paladino (R-Queens), were eventually drowned out by hecklers and counterprotesters who gathered nearby.
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