A mad man slashed the neck of a subway conductor. Her trembling boyfriend pushed her ex-girlfriend into the front of her moving car, seriously injuring her. A belligerent man shot him in the head with his own gun. And New York Governor Cathy Hochul dispatched the National Guard and state police to restore order to New York City’s public transportation system.
Then, on Monday afternoon, two off-duty New York City police officers on a commuter train arrested another suspect who allegedly cut a passenger in the face with a box cutter, authorities said.
The video shows only one traveler trying to help the victim as other travelers get up and head to the end of the vehicle. He rushed to the scene of the altercation and struggled with the suspect for much of the 1-minute and 30-second video.
US Marine veteran Daniel Penny pleads not guilty to murder in strangulation death of Jordan Neely
Daniel Penny will be arraigned in New York on June 28, 2023, and released from Manhattan Criminal Court. Penny, 24, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in the May 1 death of Jordan Neely. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
We have argued from the outset of the charges against Danny that his prosecution would have a chilling effect on everyone’s duty to assist. Everyone now not only fears risking their own life to help others, but also has to consider the real risk of being judged for that decision. Considering how Danny was treated, there’s even more reason for those who want to help not to reach out.
“Stay away from him, brother,” he said, pleading with him to stop attacking. “It’s not like he hasn’t done anything to you.”
The New York Police Department said off-duty officers arrested a 32-year-old man on suspicion of slashing a 27-year-old victim after a verbal altercation. Charges were pending.
“The reality is that if violence is used or threatened against a rider, and if the rider chooses to defend himself, the assailant may be injured, and the rider defending himself may be arrested. Yes,” said partner Steven Reiser. Reiser & Kenniff, the law firm representing Daniel Penny. “It’s a ‘Catch-22.’ Either you or someone else becomes a victim, or you risk being a defendant in court.”
Daniel Penny: Marine veterinarian accused in fatal subway strangulation reveals why he raided the subway
Video: Man shot in head during fight on New York City subway
Penny could face up to 15 years in prison after strangling an emotionally unstable man named Jordan Neely to death last year. He cooperated with police and was initially released and is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
Witnesses described the Marine Corps veteran and college student as a “hero,” but he turned himself in 11 days later when District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged him with manslaughter.
Screenshot of bystander video showing Jordan Neely being strangled on the New York City subway. (Luces de Nueva York/Juan Alberto Vazquez, via Storyful)
According to court documents, Penny told police that Neely was “threatening everyone” and that she was “furious” and ranted about going to jail.
Video: A New York straphanger examines subway crime
Penny, 24, previously told Fox News Digital: “I’m stuck on a train between stops and I have nowhere to go. I could try to leave, but there’s nothing you can do in a crowded train. It’s limited,” he said. She said: “I was scared. I looked around and saw older women and children and they were scared.”
Neely has a documented history of mental illness and a criminal history, including assault on a subway. The suspect boarded the train, threw down his jacket and began threatening to kill people, warning that he was “ready to go to prison for the rest of his life,” police said.
The New York City Police Department and National Guard conduct random bag searches on the New York City subway on Monday, March 11, 2024. Gov. Cathy Hochul announced a five-point plan earlier this month to commit 750 National Guard troops to the fight against paramilitary troops. Crime levels across the subway rose by 20%. (Matthew McDermott, Fox News Digital)
After becoming governor of New York, Hochul loses his fight against crime and dispatches the National Guard.
“Now that Danny has been taken to court for defending himself and others, the issue of subway ridership being wary doesn’t really go away,” Reiser told FOX News Digital. “The police and military are needed even more since Danny’s arrest, not only because the riders themselves are afraid of those who would attack them, but also because they fear what will happen if they come forward to help each other. Because you have to be afraid of being judged that way.”
Experts have warned that the case against Penny is deterring other potential good Samaritans from getting involved when they have the option of not getting involved. Robberies and traffic crimes continue to rise in the Big Apple, with increases of 5.8% and 6.9%, respectively, compared to last year so far this year, according to the latest statistics from the NYPD.
Commuters pass through a subway tunnel in midtown Manhattan on Monday, March 11, 2024. (Matthew McDermott, Fox News Digital)
“Alvin Bragg destroyed the chance for someone to step in and help someone,” said Joseph Giacalone, a former NYPD sergeant and professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. “New Yorkers have always been trained to mind their own business, and some get involved in cases for moral reasons. But how Manhattan’s district attorney handles cases? Specifically, everyone is acting for themselves at the moment, and I don’t blame them.”
New York City police officers patrol a subway station in New York City on Monday, March 11, 2024. (Matthew McDermott, Fox News Digital)
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Regarding the governor’s move to increase security with the National Guard, Riser said it is only a temporary solution to a long-standing problem.
“At best, this approach is a band-aid to temporarily suppress illegal activity until a solution is found,” he said. “Governor Hochul needs to come up with a plan to address the root causes of the subway chaos: the mentally ill and the homeless crisis.”
