Marine Daniel Penny surrendered to authorities on Friday morning, 11 days after he placed homeless man Jordan Neely in a fatal chokehold on an F train. Penny was arrested on a second-degree manslaughter charge after arriving at the 5th Precinct in Lower Manhattan just after 8 a.m.
Penny, 24, arrived in a black SUV, wearing a dark suit and black sneakers. He didn’t speak or answer any questions as he walked into the precinct.
Penny turned himself in less than 24 hours after the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office revealed it would pursue charges against him. Speaking outside the precinct, Penny’s lawyer, Thomas Kenniff, said he surrendered “voluntarily” and with “dignity.”
“This morning, Daniel Penny surrendered at the 5th Precinct at the request of the New York County District Attorney’s Office. He did so voluntarily and with the sort of dignity and integrity that is characteristic of his history of service to this grateful nation,” Kenniff, founding partner of Raiser & Kenniff, told reporters.
Kenniff said he expects his client to be arraigned Friday afternoon. He did not take any questions from reporters. The manslaughter charge carries up to 15 years in prison on conviction.
The incident has caused tension in the city over the May 1 killing of Neely, a 30-year-old with a long history of mental health issues. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office had faced immense pressure to charge Penny as the investigation into the fatal encounter progressed.
Legal experts widely believed District Attorney Alvin Bragg would punt the decision to a grand jury to determine charges in the high-profile case. The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide from neck compression days after Neely’s death.
Penny’s lawyers said Thursday they were confident their client would be absolved of any wrongdoing once all the facts come to light. They insist Penny stepped in to protect himself and other passengers. His lawyers, Steven Raiser and Kenniff, said in a previous statement he never meant to harm Neely.
But Neely’s uncle, Christopher Neely, told The Post Thursday he wanted Penny charged with murder.
The Neely family and their lawyers are expected to hold a press conference at 11 a.m. Friday.
