Jordan Neely NYC subway chokehold death sparks outcry: 'We've got a deep problem'

Pressure is mounting on New York City authorities as they investigate the death of a well-known Black street performer after a former Marine, who is white, put him in a chokehold after an altercation on the subway.

Jordan Neely's death on Monday, which has been ruled a homicide, renewed conflicts about access to mental health and what some experts warn is an alarming increase in vigilante justice nationally.

According to authorities and witnesses, Neely and the former Marine, 24, got into a verbal altercation that escalated into a physical fight and ended with the man putting Neeley in a chokehold. Neely lost consciousness and never recovered, police said. Investigators interviewed the former Marine after Neely's death but did not detain him.

Hundreds of people protested Neely's death Wednesday in New York City. A witness told The New York Times that Neely had been screaming on the train that he was hungry, thirsty, fed up and "ready to die."

PREVIOUSLYMan dies on New York subway after rider puts chokehold on 'erratic' passenger

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calls out Mayor's response

In a statement, Democratic New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized the official response to Neely's death.

Ocasio-Cortez said Neely's death was murder. The coroner ruled the death of Neely, 30, a homicide and said a police investigation would determine intent and culpability.

"This honestly feels like a new low: not being able to clearly condemn a public murder because the victim was of a social status some would deem 'too low' to care about," Ocasio-Cortez said.

Her comments came in response to New York City Mayor Eric Adams' statement that although Neely's death was "tragic," he'd refrain from commenting further because the investigation is ongoing. Adams, a former New York City police officer, added that he believed the city needs to provide better mental health services.

Investigation into Neely's death continues

Newsweek reported that Neely had been arrested 42 times since 2013, including charges of assault and transit fraud, but that many were for minor violations like having an open container of alcohol. Authorities said it appeared Neely was unhoused.

In a statement, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office said it was investigating Neely's death.

"This is a solemn and serious matter that ended in the tragic loss of Jordan Neely’s life,” Manhattan District Attorney’s Office spokesperson Doug Cohen said in a statement to CNN. "As part of our rigorous ongoing investigation, we will review the Medical Examiner’s report, assess all available video and photo footage, identify and interview as many witnesses as possible, and obtain additional medical records."

New Yorkers remember 1984 subway shooting

For many longtime New Yorkers, Neely's death sparked memories of the 1984 subway shooting of four Black teenagers by Bernhard Goetz, who said they tried to rob him. Dubbed the "Subway Vigilante," Goetz, who was white, was convicted only of carrying an unlicensed gun, and the incident came to symbolize the frustration and anger many New Yorkers felt with crime rates across the city.

In a statement, the Rev. Al Sharpton demanded Neely's death be investigated as either manslaughter or murder: "Thirty years ago, I fought the Bernard Goetz case and we cannot end up back to a place where vigilantism is tolerable. It wasn’t acceptable then and it cannot be acceptable now."

'We've got a deep problem in this country'

Neely's death also follows several shootings nationally of people who turned into the wrong driveway or knocked on the wrong door.

Advocates for unhoused people say they are often treated as disposable or unworthy of society's protections.

Rashad Robinson, president of the online-focused civil rights group Color Of Change, said he fears authorities believe Americans will quickly excuse Neely's death. The U.S. has a culture that worships both police and vigilantes and believes the ends almost always justify the means, Robinson said.

Robinson said that with the three-year anniversary of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis approaching this month, Neely's death hits harder, especially when so little has changed regarding police reform and access to mental health services, two key elements of the Black Lives Matter movement.

"We've got a deep problem in this country in thinking that it's OK to deploy violence to deal with mental health," Robinson said. "The fact is that Black people just don’t have to worry about being strangled by police, but by a regular citizen feeling empowered and supported by elected officials."