Daniel Penny plead not guilty to manslaughter charges brought against him in the chokehold death of Jordan Neely.
The 24-year-old former United States Marine arrived at his arraignment hearing in Manhattan on Wednesday. Penny plead not guilty to charges of second degree murder and criminally negligent homicide, according to Fox News.
Penny – who is out on a $100,000 bail – could face up to a total of 19 years in prison if convicted on both charges.
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In May, Penny was recorded placing 30-year-old Neely in a chokehold. Neely’s death was later ruled to be a homicide. Penny tried to get Neely under control after he made multiple threats and was acting irregularly on the subway.
In an interview with Fox News in early June, Penny insisted that Neely could have killed someone.
“If he had carried out his threats, he would have killed somebody,” said Penny.
Neely, a homeless man, had a history of acting erratically, mental health issues, and assaulting subway riders, according to Fox News.
Multiple people, including former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), and musician Kid Rock have come to Penny’s defense in the wake of Neely’s death.
A GiveSendGo campaign was set up to help Penny offset any legal expenses. The campaign has currently raised $2,911,584, and among the donors are Kid Rock.