Black lawmakers, activists blame racism for Daniel Penny’s acquittal: ‘This is the evil of White supremacy’

Lawmakers, activists and commentators argued that the acquittal of Marine veteran Daniel Penny Monday shows the United States is a racially unjust society. Penny was found not guilty of criminally negligent homicide in the death of Jordan Neely on a Manhattan subway car in May 2023. Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man with schizophrenia who had an active arrest warrant at the time, had barged onto the train shouting death threats while high on a type of synthetic marijuana known as K2. Penny restrained Neely with a chokehold with the assistance of two other passengers, one of whom appeared to be Black, and Neely later died. While the case has been seen by many as an intersection of cultural battles about issues such as homelessness, drugs and crime, the issue of race took center stage. “The acquittal of Daniel Penny in the death of Jordan Neely has effectively given license for vigilante justice to be waged on the Black community without consequence,” the NAACP X account posted Monday. “It’s a painful reminder of the inequities in our justice system. Jordan deserved compassion. Instead, he was met with violence. We stand with his family in calling for accountability.” LIBERALS RAGE AFTER DANIEL...