After witnessing the closing arguments in the case of Daniel Penny, who is accused of manslaughter for the fatal chokehold of Jordan Neely on a subway train in May, Councilwoman Vickie Paladino harshly condemned Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
In a social media post on Tuesday, Queens Republican Paladino referred to the prosecution’s strategy as a “travesty” and accused the district attorney’s office of acting with political motivations. On X, the website that was formerly known as Twitter, Paladino posted, “I witnessed [a] vile excuse for a DA to appear before a court and blatantly lie for no other reason than to ruin the life of a good man.”
The 24-year-old veteran of the Marine Corps, Penny, has maintained that he acted in self-defense when homeless guy Neely started to threaten other passengers. The matter has attracted national attention, with some people praising Penny as a hero and others criticizing his behavior.
According to the Manhattan DA’s office, Neely died as a result of Penny’s overreaction. Although Bragg has not directly addressed Paladino’s remarks, he has in the past underlined the office’s dedication to justice and due process.
In her closing statement, Paladino demanded that Bragg be fired, saying, “The Manhattan DA will not hesitate to destroy the life of anyone who stands up to criminals in self-defense.”
Deep disagreements concerning self-defense, public safety, and the responsibility of prosecutors in high-profile cases are highlighted by this case.
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