“Good Samaritan”… Controversy Over Headlock Incident in New York Subway Expands

Former Marine Indicted, Donations Surpass $1 Million
Governor DeSantis: "He Is a Good Samaritan"

The so-called 'headlock incident,' in which a white young man caused the death of a mentally ill Black homeless man in the New York City subway, is spreading into a public opinion battle between progressive and conservative camps.

According to the Associated Press (AP) and The New York Times (NYT) on the 13th (local time), the Manhattan District Attorney's Office decided on the 11th to indict former Marine Daniel Penny (24) on charges of second-degree manslaughter for applying a headlock to Jordan Neely (30), a Black homeless man who was shouting and begging inside a New York subway car, resulting in Neely's death.

Then, just two days after Penny was indicted, over $1 million in donations were raised on his legal defense fundraising page set up on the online platform 'GiveSendGo' on the 13th. Comments praising Penny, saying "You are a hero," have also been pouring in on the fundraising page.

The surge in donations began when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, one of the Republican presidential candidates, joined the cause. The incident has escalated into a public opinion confrontation between conservatives and progressives.

Former Marine Daniel Penny, charged with causing the death of a Black homeless man while restraining him in the New York subway
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Governor DeSantis posted a link to the fundraising page on his Twitter account the previous night, writing, "We must stop the left's criminal-friendly agenda and return the streets to law-abiding citizens. We stand with 'good Samaritans' like Daniel Penny."

DeSantis also referred to Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan District Attorney who indicted Penny, saying, "We must defeat the DA who takes money from (George) Soros." Recently, Republicans have raised conspiracy theories that DA Bragg, who previously indicted former President Donald Trump, is supported by Soros, a major donor to the progressive camp.

The conservative-leaning daily The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) also called Penny the "Samaritan of the subway" in an editorial that day, pointing out, "This indictment will discourage other 'Samaritans' from intervening to stop dangerous people or criminal acts in the future."

Additionally, criticism has arisen that the fundamental cause of this incident is the city authorities' failure to manage the situation, as it was revealed that Neely was on New York City's 'Top 50' list of persons of interest in the subway. The NYT reported, "Neely even had an outstanding arrest warrant."

However, criticism remains strong that Penny's actions were clearly an excessive response and that the police's decision to release him without charges was racially discriminatory. On the day of the incident, Neely did not physically threaten others on the subway.

Meanwhile, Penny was arrested on the 12th but was released on bail by the court. If found guilty, Penny faces up to 15 years in prison.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.