Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., told Newsmax Monday that if Daniel Penny is found guilty in the subway chokehold death of Jordan Neely, the response from the public will be that people "will not get involved" if they see threatening behavior on the streets.
Penny, a 26-year-old Marine veteran, is on trial in New York City for the death of Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man, who witnesses said was making threats on a Manhattan subway car last year before Penny moved to restrain him.
"They will not step up to protect others when there is danger because they will be afraid of being criminally charged, as we're seeing Mr. Penny right now under trial," Malliotakis told Newsmax's "Wake Up America." "So I think that, in many ways, it makes our city even more dangerous. But really, the people who need to be held accountable is our government — particularly in the city and state — that has failed.
"Why is an individual, arrested 40 times, back on the streets? Why was he in the position to make these threats on the subway against fellow New Yorkers? And this is why people do not want to ride the subway in New York because the city is not keeping it safe, and they are concerned about stories that they read about every day that are very similar to this one."
Malliotakis said it is "very concerning" that people will think twice before intervening and said Penny's case is "very similar to the deli owner in Manhattan who was also charged for defending his store and defending himself."
"This is the same district attorney — Alvin Bragg — that we're dealing with here, and it seems that people who take matters into their own hands to try to protect themselves, their property, their livelihood, their business, their fellow New Yorkers are the ones who are on the stand in these high-profile trials," she said. "Alvin Bragg has released so many individuals onto our streets, dropped charges for rioters, protesters, people who looted stores and all sorts of other criminals.
"I mean, if you look at the stats, he probably has one of the worst records in terms of pleading down charges and dropping charges, and that's why we're in this situation — because people who should be getting mental health support and treatment, people who should be in jail, are not."
The New York congresswoman also commented on the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week, who was gunned down in a targeted attack in Midtown Manhattan.
"There is speculation that this is a person who has grievances with the healthcare system," she said of the shooter. "Maybe they themselves or their family members did not receive coverage for a procedure, and it was out of frustration.
"Obviously, [it's] no excuse for violence, but this is a larger issue that we're seeing here in the United States. We had the former and future president nearly assassinated. We have threats against Cabinet members, his proposed Cabinet members. We have members of Congress who have received swatting calls and threats as well. And now you see it spilling into the CEOs of major corporations.
"So this is a real problem in the United States — where it seems that violence is taking over instead of the proper way to try to address issues and concerns that you have in your society."
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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