Thomas Kenniff, the attorney representing Marine Corps veteran Daniel Penny, criticized the apparent irony of his client’s prosecution amid continued violence on New York City’s subways.
Kenniff appeared on “Jesse Watters Prime Time” to discuss his reaction to Thursday’s shooting on the New York City subway. Details were unclear, but authorities announced Friday that a 32-year-old man who allegedly shot a 36-year-old man on a train will not be charged on the grounds of “self-defense.”
Fox host Jesse Watters explains how charges were filed against Penny in connection with Jordan Neely’s death in May 2023, but not against others like the 32-year-old suspect. I asked Kenniff about Tanaka. Mr Kenniff said he was “pleased” to learn that “anyone” who was found to be “defending themselves” would not be prosecuted, but found it frustrating to compare similar situations. (Related: Police say man shot in head on New York subway)
“I’m glad that someone who defended himself and was vindicated — and it certainly looks like he is, based on this video — is not prosecuted. My client doesn’t want to see anyone walk in his shoes. But is it frustrating? Yes, it’s really frustrating. You know what’s funny? , Jesse, I was watching that video and it gave me a good idea of the situation my client found himself in on the subway last May: As he was walking home from college, Jordan Neely entered the subway car and the door closed. His ramblings, threatening people, threatening to kill people, telling frightened women and children that he was going back to prison for the rest of his life. .A lot of it started the same way this video started: an obviously insane person walking into a crowded subway car and declaring that he was going to commit violence,” Kenniff said.
Kenniff later said he was “appreciative” of Penny’s handling of the situation, pointing out the unpredictability of someone armed with a knife or gun during an altercation on the subway.
“You can see how my client Daniel Penny handled this situation. He went up behind Jordan Neely and [and] He used a restraining motion, not a chokehold, to get him to the ground. Witnesses on the subway car do not dispute that Danny got off the train and fell, knocking Jordan Neely on top of him, and then restraining him until police arrived. If you confront someone with a different approach, like you just saw in the video I showed you, you don’t know if they have a weapon, you don’t know if they have a knife. Once we find out if they have guns, the situation could develop exactly as we saw in that video. So, yeah, there’s the cruel irony that my client, who did everything the right way to protect himself and others on the subway, gets indicted, and others, again, thankfully, don’t get indicted? Yes, I think that’s natural. ”
Thursday’s incident involved a 36-year-old man who was “aggressive and provocative” and initially approached a 32-year-old man on a northbound A train, New York City Police Department (NYPD) officials said. It is reported that. While the two were arguing, the 36-year-old allegedly pulled out a gun and the man began walking towards the 32-year-old in a “menacing manner.” Authorities believe the 32-year-old man was able to wrest the gun from the 36-year-old man during the altercation, and multiple shots struck him.
Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on March 6 that she would deploy 750 New York National Guard troops and 250 state troopers to the metro in response to a 13% increase in crime over the previous year. .
