“Finally A Little Common Sense”– Phil Mickelson Blasts NYC District Attorney After Former Marine Daniel Penny Found Not Guilty In New York Subway Death

Finally. Former United States Marine Daniel Penny was found not guilty of negligent homicide today in New York City following a month long trial in the death of 30-year old homeless man Jordan Neely. Neely, who often performed in the subway dressed as a Michael Jackson impersonator, passed away on May 1, 2023 after being restrained by Penny on the NYC subway. According to witnesses, the man was making threats to other passengers, saying that he would "kill" them and that he would go to prison for the rest of his life when Penny stepped in and put him in a chokehold to take him to the ground. The autopsy revealed that Neely, who had a history of mental illness and an extensive criminal record, also had synthetic marijuana (also known as K-2) in his system at the time of his death. The former Marine was lauded as a hero by many for helping to protect his fellow passengers, but Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg subsequently charged him with second degree manslaughter, and he was also later indicted on a charge of criminally negligent homicide. If found guilty, Penny could have spent between five and fifteen years in prison. After he was charged, supporters quickly rallied around Penny and donated millions of dollars for his legal defense, including a $5,000 donation from Kid Rock that called Penny a hero and DA Alvin Bragg a "POS." Well a year after being indicted, Penny finally got his day in court, with the trial kicking off back in November and lasting over a month before the jury finally started their deliberations. But last Friday, there were signs that the jury was struggling to reach a verdict after they informed the judge that they were deadlocked on the charge of second degree manslaughter. Prosecutors moved to dismiss that charge, which the court granted over the objections of Penny's defense attorneys who believed the judge should be required to dismiss the entire indictment. It ended up not making a difference though, because this morning the jury was able to reach a verdict on the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide, finding Penny not guilty and ending his nearly two year long legal battle. Protests immediately erupted outside the courthouse, with Black Lives Matter leaders even threatening Penny and calling for vigilante justice: https://twitter.com/DrewHLive/status/1866170450973511740 But over on social media, it seems that the vast majority of the reaction has been relief and outrage that Penny was charged in the first place for attempting to protect himself and his fellow passengers. Golf legend Phil Mickelson has even chimed in on the case, tweeting on Friday to thank Penny for not only his military service but for his quick action to protect those around him, calling Nelly a "violent and deranged individual." https://twitter.com/PhilMickelson/status/1865120282207490132 And after the verdict, Mickelson praised the jury for getting it right while blasting prosecutors for bringing charges against Penny in the first place: "Finally a little common sense. There never should have been a trial. He should be commended for selfless actions to protect the other passengers and those who brought charges should be out of a job." https://twitter.com/PhilMickelson/status/1866161114767380879 Seems like a lot of people agree with him on this one. Penny was doing what he needed to do to protect his community - and luckily, the jury agreed.