Daniel Penny, acquitted in New York subway choking case, joins Vance at Army-Navy Game By Reuters

Nathan Laine

(Reuters) – Daniel Penny, the former U.S. Marine who choked a New York subway rider and was this week acquitted of manslaughter in his death, will attend Saturday’s Army-Navy football game as a guest of Vice President-elect JD Vance.

Vance said in the X Post on Friday that Penny had accepted his invitation to join him in the legendary match, which draws national attention every year. President-elect Donald Trump will also be at the game in Landover, Maryland.

A Manhattan jury found Penny, 26, not guilty of manslaughter Monday in the death of Jordan Neely, who prosecutors said was agitated and acting in a threatening manner as he boarded a train downtown on May 1, 2023. .

The case attracted widespread public attention, and some viewed Neely, who was Black, as the victim of a white vigilante. Others, including some Republican politicians, described Penny as a hero for protecting others on the train.

“Daniel is a good guy, and the NY mob DA tried to ruin his life because he had a backbone,” Vance wrote on X.

“I’m grateful he accepted my invitation and I hope he can have fun and appreciate how much his fellow citizens admire his bravery,” Vance added.

Penny’s attorney, Steven Reiser, confirmed that his client will attend the game as Vance’s guest.

“He doesn’t look at it as a political statement. He just looks at it as an honor,” Reiser said. “If the president, who was a Democrat, had invited him to the Army-Navy game as a way to show support for the army and his country, he would have gladly accepted it.

Penny said he never intended to kill Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man with a history of mental illness. Penny did not testify during the trial, which began in October. He left the courtroom on Monday without commenting to the media.

Before Monday’s acquittal, the judge had already dismissed the more serious charge, second-degree manslaughter, after jurors walked out twice during the third day of deliberations to say they were divided on it.