Protesters brought part of New York’s Manhattan subway system to a standstill by venturing onto the tracks as they expressed anger at Jordan Neely’s death from a stranglehold by a US Marine earlier this week.
Photos and videos show the protest group taking control of the Lexington Avenue and 63rd Street subway station on the Upper East Side, bringing trains to a standstill.
Several people even walked onto the tracks near the electrified third rail to prevent the train from entering or exiting the station.
The protesters marched from downtown to the Upper East Side before descending into the subway system to stop the trains themselves.
This resulted in the station’s complete closure for the better part of an hour, with the NYPD arresting at least 15 people.
Demonstrators stand on the tracks of the Lexington Ave/63rd Street subway station Saturday night during a “Justice for Jordan Neely” protest
People are arrested by NYPD as they attend a protest over the death of Jordan Neely at the Lexington Av/63 St subway in Manhattan
Some of the protesters standing on the tracks held protest signs.
A person stood atop the protective shell that shields the electrified third rail, which normally carries 600 volts of electricity.
Police made numerous arrests when trains on lines F and Q were held up for nearly an hour from 6:15 p.m. The service is said to have resumed at 7 p.m.
Back at the surface, at street level, a black man could be heard shouting, “I can’t breathe” as he was handcuffed, although no NYPD officer used any sort of force on his chest or face.
The death of 30-year-old Neely on Monday has sparked an outcry over the city’s lack of support for people with mental illness and homelessness.
Back at the surface, at street level, a black man could be heard shouting, “I can’t breathe” as he was handcuffed
This man could be heard saying, “I can’t breathe,” though no NYPD officer used any kind of force on his chest or face
NYPD officers arrested protesters at the Lexington Ave/63rd Street subway station
More than 15 people were arrested after protesters blocked a train from entering the station and walked onto the subway tracks
A protester is arrested at the Lexington Ave/63rd Street subway station during a “Justice for Jordan Neely” protest that started in front of the Broadway-Lafayette station
A protester argues with subway drivers while blocking the doors from closing
A protester holds a sign reading Jordan Neely while standing on the tracks
Dozens of people ventured onto the subway tracks to cause maximum disruption
One of the protesters is handcuffed after Saturday’s disturbance
NYPD officers arrest protesters at the Lexington Ave/63rd Street subway station during a ‘Justice for Jordan Neely’ protest.
Activists are calling for the arrest of the man who choked Neely
The protests also continued above ground, with activists shouting Jordan Neely’s name
The protester waits to be loaded into an NYPD van after being arrested at the Lexington Ave/63rd Street subway station during Saturday night’s protest
A protester climbs onto a bus stop as a member of the NYPD looks on during a march from the Broadway-Lafayette subway station to the Lexington Ave/63rd Street subway station
Protesters can be seen on the subway station floor as the NYPD moved to round them up
The protesters marched from downtown to the Upper East Side before descending into the subway system to halt trains
Two major arrests were just made as protesters continued to clash with NYPD
Police clashed with protesters on the streets surrounding the Manhattan subway station
Many in the crowd took out cellphones to take pictures of the protest themselves
Activists are calling for charges to be brought against the Marine veteran at the center of disturbing video of Neely in a chokehold on the floor of a northbound F-train.
Neely died from compression of his neck, the city’s coroner found on Wednesday.
He was screaming while pacing on a train in Manhattan on Monday afternoon when he was restrained by at least three people, including the Navy veteran, who had an arm tight around his neck.
A physical struggle ensued, during which Neely lost consciousness.
He was taken to Lenox Hill Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Neely is recognizable to some New Yorkers as a Michael Jackson impersonator who regularly danced in the transit hub of Times Square.
![Dario agreed and said ¿100 percent [Penny should at least be charged]¿ Regardless of his reason or logic as to why this happened at the moment, we need due process. ¿](https://www.spamchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Video-shows-Marine-veteran-Daniel-Penny-ignoring-warnings-while-restraining.jpg "Demonstrators stand on subway tracks in Manhattan, stopping trains and fighting with police in protest 25")
The former Marine who put homeless man Jordan Neely in a deadly chokehold on the New York City subway has been officially identified as Daniel J. Penny (right).
Neely went limp in Penny’s arms. When he didn’t respond, Penny let go of him and stood up
After being warned that Neely could die, Penny (left) and the other man who helped hold him (right) held him for a few more seconds. He jumped up when Neely stopped responding
Jordan Neely, 30, was a Michael Jackson impersonator whose mental health has been deteriorating in recent years, according to his family
“Jordan was murdered here,” read the graffiti of a demonstrator at the subway station last night
The Marine in question, Daniel Penny, 24, has not been charged with a felony in connection with Neely’s death.
Multiple reports suggest that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg could convene a grand jury and indict as soon as next week.
ABC News notes that it is “typical” for prosecutors to take their time in complex cases before calling a jury.
Detectives in the case have spoken to about six witnesses who saw the disturbance and are trying to speak to about four or five others.
Penny was also interrogated by the police and released. He reportedly said he had no intention of killing Neely and tried to hold him until police arrived.
Witnesses said that around 2:30 p.m. last Monday, Neely, who relatives said was schizophrenic, was behaving erratically, throwing garbage and screaming that he wanted to “die” or “go to jail” because he was fed up with to have nothing to eat.
Video footage shows Penny with Neely in a chokehold. For two minutes and five seconds, Neely struggled on the ground, kicking his feet. After two minutes and six seconds he went limp.
The police took Penny into custody. But he was later released and has not been charged.
In the statement, Penny’s attorneys say the Long Islander “couldn’t have predicted [Neely’s] untimely death.’ It also said Penny was merely trying to detain Neely, who was accused of disrupting aboard an F-train, until police arrived.
Neely’s attorneys also targeted “elected officials,” urging them to “address the mental health crisis on our streets in subways.”
Former Marine Daniel Penny was questioned by police in connection with Neely’s death but has not been charged with a crime