The trial of Daniel Penny: details of the case and debates on the safety of the New York subway
7 december 2024 в 02:13
In May 2023, subway performer named Jordan Nili died after being strangled by a man named Daniel Penny. As a result, Penny was charged with manslaughter and intentional murder, to which he claimed his innocence. His trial sparked debates about subway safety in New York, the line between self-defense and senseless killing, as well as racism, as Penny was white and Nili was black. Penny’s trial began in late 2024, and in December the jury could not reach a unanimous decision.
More details about Penny’s trial can be found below.
Penny is a veteran of the Navy, having served in the Marine Corps for four years. After that, the 26-year-old man went to study architecture at the New York Institute of Technology.
Facing charges of manslaughter, Penny claimed his innocence and defended his actions, stating that Nili was behaving aggressively in the subway. Penny also claimed that by strangling Nili, he was trying to protect other subway passengers, as well as himself, from Nili’s alleged erratic behavior.
Penny defended himself, saying: «The three main threats he repeated over and over [from Nili] were: 'I will kill you,' 'I'm ready to go to prison for life,' and 'I'm ready to die.' I was scared for myself, but I looked around, saw women and children. He was shouting in their faces. … I didn’t want to get into such a situation, but I couldn’t just sit and let him carry out these threats».
He also denied accusations of racism, stating: «Some people say I was trying to strangle him to death, which is also not true. I was trying to restrain him. You can see on the video that his chest is rising and falling. I didn’t see a black man threatening passengers. I saw a man threatening passengers, many of whom were people of color».
Nili was a 30-year-old subway performer in New York, known for his impersonations of Michael Jackson. According to CBS, he struggled with mental illness and homelessness.
At the time of publication, Penny had not been found guilty, as the jury could not reach a unanimous decision. In early December 2024, jury deliberations lasted for four days before they sent a note to the judge stating that they could not reach a unanimous decision.
The term «hung jury», - also known as a «deadlocked jury», - means that the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict. A hung jury usually leads to a new trial.
Penny’s fate is still unclear as the jury struggles to make a decision on the verdict
More details about Penny’s trial can be found below.
Penny is a veteran of the Navy, having served in the Marine Corps for four years. After that, the 26-year-old man went to study architecture at the New York Institute of Technology.
Facing charges of manslaughter, Penny claimed his innocence and defended his actions, stating that Nili was behaving aggressively in the subway. Penny also claimed that by strangling Nili, he was trying to protect other subway passengers, as well as himself, from Nili’s alleged erratic behavior.
Penny defended himself, saying: «The three main threats he repeated over and over [from Nili] were: 'I will kill you,' 'I'm ready to go to prison for life,' and 'I'm ready to die.' I was scared for myself, but I looked around, saw women and children. He was shouting in their faces. … I didn’t want to get into such a situation, but I couldn’t just sit and let him carry out these threats».
He also denied accusations of racism, stating: «Some people say I was trying to strangle him to death, which is also not true. I was trying to restrain him. You can see on the video that his chest is rising and falling. I didn’t see a black man threatening passengers. I saw a man threatening passengers, many of whom were people of color».
Nili was a 30-year-old subway performer in New York, known for his impersonations of Michael Jackson. According to CBS, he struggled with mental illness and homelessness.
At the time of publication, Penny had not been found guilty, as the jury could not reach a unanimous decision. In early December 2024, jury deliberations lasted for four days before they sent a note to the judge stating that they could not reach a unanimous decision.
The term «hung jury», - also known as a «deadlocked jury», - means that the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict. A hung jury usually leads to a new trial.
Penny’s fate is still unclear as the jury struggles to make a decision on the verdict
© Zhinobaeva Margarita
