Florida Governor Ron Desantis took to Twitter on Friday to call for support of the Marine veteran charged in the subway death of Jordan Neely.
“We must defeat the Soros-Funded DAs, stop the Left’s pro-criminal agenda, and take back the streets for law abiding citizens,” Florida Governor Ron Desantis tweeted. “We stand with Good Samaritans like Daniel Penny. Let’s show this Marine… America’s got his back,” Desantis said alongside a donation link for Penny’s defense funds.
We must defeat the Soros-Funded DAs, stop the Left’s pro-criminal agenda, and take back the streets for law abiding citizens. We stand with Good Samaritans like Daniel Penny. Let’s show this Marine… America’s got his back.
https://t.co/uQXZuT19Mo— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantisFL) May 13, 2023
Daniel Penny turned himself in to police Friday, and faces second-degree manslaughter charges for the death of a homeless man on a New York subway earlier this month. (RELATED: Marine Vet Reportedly Kills Unhinged Man On NYC Subway After Putting Him In Chokehold)
Penny, 24, placed Neely in a chokehold after the 30-year-old began intimidating other passengers shortly after boarding a subway train. Witnesses recalled Neely issuing a litany of threats toward passengers, prompting Penny to intervene, according to the New York Post.
Neely had a history of mental illness, as well as a criminal record that included more than 40 arrests, the outlet noted. His death prompted violent protests in New York City demanding justice for Neely. Others, like Desantis, have praised Penny for his actions as a “Good Samaritan.”
“Daniel never intended to harm Mr. Neely and could not have foreseen his untimely death,” said Penny’s lawyers, Thomas Kenniff and Steven Raiser in WFLA News.
Penny’s fundraising account describes him as a “college student and decorated Marine veteran” and has so far accrued more than $1 million for legal fees.