Riders testimony puts the lie to DAs cynical race-baiting in Daniel Penny trial

Daniel Penny has been smeared as a vigilante and a racist, but the truth is slowly being revealed at his trial: The Marine vet tried to do the right thing and protect others in an impossible situation — and got arrested and charged with manslaughter for it.On May 1, 2023, mentally ill homeless man Jordan Neely charged onto an F Train and began ranting at his captive fellow passengers.

Witnesses have said that Neely claimed he “didn’t care about going back to jail” and ominously warned that “someone is going to die today” before Penny put him into a hold to subdue him, which led to Neely’s death after police arrived.The prosecution wants jurors to believe that Penny was overzealous, that he overreacted to Neely’s threats.

Most of all, the DA’s office wants to remind jurors that Penny is white and Neely was black, as Assistant DA Jillian Shartrand did when she repeatedly referred to Penny as “the white man” in court.The intent of that is obvious: Make this case about race, not safety.

But the prosecution’s own first witness threw cold water on that cynical tactic.On Monday, high-school student Ivette Rosario, who caught a shaky video of the encounter as she trembled with fear, testified that Neely’s menacing made her so nervous she thought she was “going to pass out,” and noted: “I’ve been in situations on the train where stuff was said, but not like this.”Rosario thought she was in real danger, as many others on that train likely did.That was what made Penny leap into action, not his skin color or Neely’s.Morning Report and Evening Update: Your source for today's top stories Please provide a valid email address.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story.

Neely’s story is a tragic one: He had a history of mental illness and was even hospitalized under a plea deal in an assault case, yet was allowed to sign h...