daniel penny

Who Is Daniel Penny? Marine Veteran Charged in Jordan Neely Chokehold Case

Daniel Penny faces 2nd-degree manslaughter charges in the chokehold death of street performer Jordan Neely, a case that prompted global outrage after video of the incident surfaced

NBC Universal, Inc.

Daniel Penny, a 24-year-old Marine veteran from Long Island, will face 2nd-degree manslaughter charges in the NYC subway chokehold death of street performer Jordan Neely, a case that spurred global outrage.

Penny's lawyers have previously said their client was acting to defend himself and others and could not have foreseen that Neely, who was homeless and suffered from mental illness, would have died.

Who Is Daniel Penny?

Penny is a 2016 graduate of Long Island's West Islip High School and has most recently lived in Queens.

Military records indicate he spent four years in the Marines, rising to the rank of sergeant before being discharged in June 2021. While in the service he earned a number of awards, including the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal.

Penny's attorneys have said their client was a college student, though NBC News reported Penny may have at one point dropped out of college to backpack through Central America.

At one point Penny sought work as a bartender in Manhattan, NBC also reported.

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