A jury's acquittal on Monday of Daniel Penny, a white Marine veteran, in the chokehold death of Jordan Neely, a homeless black man, on a subway in New York City last May represents the "blatant legalization of civilian vigilantism," the Rev. Al Sharpton said, The Hill reported.
Sharpton stated that the verdict "does not change what we have known to be true in our hearts since the very beginning: Jordan Neely's life was brutally taken away because of unnecessary vigilantism."
Sharpton added that "this kind of behavior was inexcusable 40 years ago when Bernhard Goetz opened fire in a subway car, and it remained the case more than a year ago when Daniel Penny took Jordan's life. Jordan was in the middle of a mental health crisis, but instead of being offered a helping hand, he got an arm around his neck."
Penny's defense argued in court that he was protecting himself and the other subway passengers from a mentally ill man when he held Neely in a chokehold for several minutes after Neely had been shouting at passengers on a subway that he was hungry, thirsty, and suicidal.
A manslaughter charge against Penny was dismissed by Judge Maxwell Wiley on Friday after jurors said they could not reach a unanimous verdict. On Monday, the jury acquitted him of a criminally negligent homicide charge.
Sharpton said on Monday that Neely's family was "denied justice," stating that "this verdict represents the blatant legalization of civilian vigilantism, sending a dangerous message that citizens can now take matters into their own hands, even if it leads to someone's death."
Sharpton stressed that "is a threat to all of us. We fought this 40 years ago with Goetz, we fought it when Eric Garner was killed, and we will continue to fight it today."
Sharpton said the U.S. must do more to help those struggling, stating that "today's acquittal should still serve as a reminder that we cannot fear or ignore those who are struggling but must instead recognize their equal humanity."
Sharpton added that "Jordan, famous for the smiles he brought to people's faces with his Michael Jackson impersonation, had dreams, passions, and love in his heart too. Our brothers and sisters in crisis deserve our compassion and understanding, not violence. While this verdict may not bring the closure Jordan's family deserves, his legacy will continue to demand compassion and action from all of us."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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