Hundreds rally in Washington Square Park to demand justice in death of Jordan Neely
The medical examiner’s office says Neely died as a result of a chokehold that was caught on video and shared across social media this week.
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Calls for justice continue to ring out in New York City as hundreds rallied in Washington Square Park on Friday for justice to be served in the death of Jordan Neely.
The medical examiner’s office says Neely died as a result of a chokehold that was caught on video and shared across social media this week.
Protesters are demanding that an arrest be made and that charges be pressed against the person responsible for Neely’s death, claiming that New York City has failed its residents and Neely.
“The reality is… if a young Black man in east Brooklyn New York is accused of killing someone… they don’t release him while they look for all the facts,” said Eugene Puryear, organizer of Friday’s rally. “We think it’s critically important to keep the pressure on. That’s one of the reasons why we’re out here today.”
The dozens of concerned New Yorkers lined the center of Washington Square Park, calling on City Hall for more resources for the city’s most vulnerable people.
Police and witnesses say that Neely was on board an F train on Monday, packing back and forth and yelling. Three people had to restrain him, including a former Marine, who police say put Neely in a chokehold until he passed out.
When the train got to the Broadway-Lafayette station, officials brought Neely to the hospital, where he passed away.
“I feel like many of our systems have failed him. We have seen that as he’s been shuffling through systems since he was 14 years old,” said Nicole Russell, a fellow protester. “At so many points there could have been better intervention. I am disappointed across the board. This has to be the wake-up call that we need to do better.”
The NYPD and Manhattan district attorney’s offices are still investigating, and charges could be coming forward in the future.
