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'People need to stop being scared and stand up’: NYC commuters react to Jordan Neely’s death
By
Catalina Gonella
Published May 4, 2023
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Catalina Gonella
By
Catalina Gonella
Published May 4, 2023
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News of 30-year-old Jordan Neely's killing on an F train earlier this week continued to percolate in the minds of subway riders on Thursday.
Neely, a Black homeless New Yorker, was killed when another passenger put him in a chokehold on Monday. The city medical examiner ruled his death a homicide — though no charges were filed as of Thursday evening. The fatal interaction was caught on video by freelance journalist Juan Alberto Vazquez, who posted it on Facebook, writing that Neely yelled that he was tired — that he didn’t care if he went to prison and that he was ready to die
Flatbush, Brooklyn resident Zoey Myers said watching Neely be killed on video was traumatizing, and left her questioning her safety.
“I was just like, why would he think that was okay to use that much excessive force that you killed someone?” Myers said before boarding a train at the Atlantic-Barclays Center station.
“That made me super uncomfortable because if just anyone can take justice into their own hands, like we're all not safe.It's not for you to take justice to subdue him,” she added. “Maybe if he was actually a threat, it doesn't really sound like he was a physical threat to anyone. So I don't even think that would have been necessary but — move cars, it’s not necessary.”
Zoey Myers says everyday New Yorkers need to come together.
Catalina Gonella
Abigail Addison from Canarsie, Brooklyn works at Barclays Center and was boarding the train there on Thursday. She said it's up to everyday New Yorkers to prevent something like this from happening again.
"I could see he was really holding really tight, and who was there to help him? No one helped. People need to stop being scared and stand up,” Addison said.
Dakota Greenidge from Woodside, Queens commuted to the Broadway Lafayette station in anticipation of joining a protest condemning the homicide. He said he felt that along with the man who put Neely in a chokehold, others seen in the video also holding Neely down should be charged.
“Without a doubt, he should definitely be charged along with the other people that helped. They should all be held accountable.” Greenidge said. “They participated and they didn't do anything to stop it. And they also looked at the dude, the dude in a chokehold and were just like, ‘Oh, this is perfectly fine. We're good Samaritans.’”
Sarah Danley says the incident highlights the city’s lack of resources for homeless New Yorkers.
Catalina Gonella
After getting off the train at Broadway Lafayette, the station where the Neely’s F train stopped, Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn resident Sarah Danley said the incident highlighted the city’s lack of resources for homeless New Yorkers.
“We have no services for people who are homeless or mentally ill that are easily accessible and actually work and he was asking for help and he was murdered,” Danley said. She said she doesn’t believe in the criminal justice system and was skeptical that Neely’s killer being charged would be of help.
“I mean, I don't think anybody should be charged in our current criminal justice system,” Danley said. “Charging him isn't going to bring about justice because if there was justice, Jordan Neely would still be alive. And also this is the system we have.”
Stepping out of the Franklin Avenue station in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Courtney Everett said the man who put him in the chokehold should face charges.
“When you take somebody's life, you should be held accountable to the umpteenth degree of the law,” he said. “Now, when it goes to court, then they can prove one way or the other — it’s in the hands of the court, but he should be charged because he took somebody's life.”
The NYPD on Thursday said they were working with the Manhattan District Attorney and asked witnesses to get in touch with them. The DA's office is also investigating.
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Catalina Gonella
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