A former American soldier pleaded not guilty Wednesday in a New York court that has charged him with manslaughter since May after a known homeless man was killed by strangulation and asphyxiation in the city.
• Also read: In New York, a former soldier is charged with “manslaughter” over the death of a homeless man
In accordance with America’s criminal case, 24-year-old former Marine Corps soldier Daniel Penny appeared in a New York court to serve on him his indictment, which was released in mid-May but has not yet been recorded by a grand jury, citizens who are involved in the investigations of the public prosecutor’s office.
“Daniel Penny was charged with involuntary manslaughter for choking Jordan Neely to death for several minutes before and after he stopped moving,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a May 1 statement.
According to journalists at the scene, Mr Penny, a curly-haired blond and athletic young man dressed in a blue suit and burgundy tie, appeared on bail and pleaded “not guilty”.
If tried, Daniel Penny, who served four years in the army until 2021, faces up to 15 years in prison.
According to his lawyers during his indictment in mid-May, the young man did not “intentionally” kill Jordan Neely, who died from strangulation and “compression” in the neck.
His defense, which is close to America’s hard right, launched a fundraiser and appeal ($1.6 million was raised in mid-May) and believes Mr Penny “risked his life to protect subway passengers from New York.” to protect against an attacker. “, Mr. Neely, with erratic behavior according to witnesses.
30-year-old Jordan Neely, who lived on the streets of Manhattan, was known for his likeness and performances emulating music and dance legend Michael Jackson for a decade.
A video of the drama, which caused strong emotions as early as May 1, shows the victim on the ground for five minutes, with Daniel Penny lying behind him, limping him. She fights before she moves.
In the US, the case is sharply divided: Republicans, who accuse the Democrats of being lax about crime, congratulated a “vigilante who acted in self-defense.”
The left has condemned an act of violence by a “self-proclaimed vigilante” against a homeless African American man suffering from psychiatric disorders, an example of deep socioeconomic and racial inequalities.