Still from a video show three men, including Daniel Penny, either restraining or standing near Jordan Neely in a subway altercation that ended in Neely’s death. Juan Alberto Vázquez/Reuters The 24-year-old former Marine who fatally choked Jordan Neely was identified as Daniel Penny. There are more effective ways to intervene as a bystander, experts said.
“It’s possible that a helpful, caring, compassionate response could have deescalated the situation,” one expert said. Protests errupted after a man identifed by Insider as Daniel Penny, a 24-year-old white Marine veteran, put Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old Black man, in a chokehold on a New York City subway that led to his death. Neely’s cries for help leading up to his death offered an opportunity for intervention — but Penny’s attempt to step in ultimately went horribly wrong, bystander experts said.
New York police told Insider this week that authorities took the unconscious and unresponsive Neely to a hospital where he died. Penny was questioned by authorities but later released. The medical examiner’s office determined Wednesday that Neely died from “compression of neck” and classified his death as a homicide.
No arrests have been made as of Friday evening, though legal experts told Insider prosecutors could still bring charges in the case. On Friday evening, Penny released his first statement on the matter via his attorneys, expressing condolences to Neely’s friends and family while directly calling out Neely’s “documented history of violent and erratic behavior. “”When Mr.
Neely began aggressively threatening Daniel Penny and the other passengers, Daniel, with the help of others, acted to protect themselves, until help arrived,” the statement said. “Daniel never intended to harm Mr. Neely and could not have foreseen his untimely death.
“—philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) May 6, 2023 Eyewitnesses on the subway said Neely was behaving erratically before Penny put him in a chokehold, screaming about being hungry and thirsty, though there is no evidence that Neely assaulted anyone on the train. “I don’t mind going to jail and getting life in prison,” Neely said, according to a bystander who took video of the incident, on the subway before Penny placed him in a chokehold. “I’m ready to die.
“The incident has sparked protests over what legal experts called an incident of “vigilante justice,” as well as clamor over public transportation safety and mental health services in the city. Neely, who was a former Michael Jackson street performer, had been arrested more than 40 times and had a history of mental illness. “The system obviously failed [Neely], but in some ways, it failed all of the people who were on that train,” said Jane Stapleton, executive director of practice at Prevention Innovations Research Center at The University of New Hampshire.
“Many people were probably desensitized: ‘Here’s just another homeless guy. ‘”Protesters march through the Manhattan borough of New York on Wednesday afternoon, May 3, 2023, to protest the death of Jordan Neely. AP Photo/Jake OffenhartzGender and past experiences can dictate how people respond to stressful situations “There is a possibility of an over-response or a macho response,” said Alan Berkowitz, an independent researcher and the author of “Response-Ability: A Complete Guide to Bystander Intervention.
“”It could be in some cases force is required, but those cases are a minority,” he added. “When force is required, it should be the minimum necessary amount. “There are several factors that may dictate how a person responds to a situation, including gender.
Stapleton and Berkowitz both said men are often more likely than women to turn to physical intervention. “Some men are more likely to respond aggressively when it’s not appropriate,” Berkowitz, a licensed psychologist who conducts bystander intervention training, said. A person’s previous life experiences also play a role in how they respond.
Past military training, for example, might give someone the training to intervene in a risky situation; it could also cause them to respond in an overly-aggressive manner. “Maybe the fact that this person was an ex-Marine gave them the courage to step in when others weren’t willing,” Berkowitz told Insider. “But it also maybe gave them the propensity to overreact or step in in a way that was overly strong.
“Most other passengers appeared to exit the car amid the chokehold, video shows, though two other men stayed and appeared to help Penny restrain Neely, even as he was flailing on the floor. New video uncovered Friday shows at least one bystander warned Penny about the intensity of the chokehold, telling him, “You’re going to kill him. “Concerns of physical safety may have contributed to a lack of life-saving intervention from people witnessing Penny’s chokehold on Neely, as well as a sense among remaining passengers that the situation was being dealt with, a phenomenon known as diffusion of responsibility, Berkowitz said.
“The rest of the observers may have thought the situation was being taken care of and they didn’t feel like they had to do something because someone else jumped in,” he said. “But the person most likely to jump in quickly might not be the person who is going to jump in in the most effective way,” Berkowitz added. Jordan Neely (right) and Moses Harper doing their Michael Jackson impersonations in Times Square last night at premiere of the King of Pop documentary “This is it.
“Photo by Andrew Savulich/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesThere are more effective ways to intervene as a bystander, experts saidIn bystander intervention training, there are four stages Berkowitz teaches to try and ensure a successful outcome. Notice the eventAssess whether it is a problemFeel responsible for dealing with itHave the skills to actBy the time Penny had Neely in a chokehold, Berkowitz said the subway incident had quickly escalated to step three. Penny seemingly felt a responsibility to intervene following Neely’s comments, but the ex-Marine lacked the skills required by step four to intervene in an effective way, Berkowitz said.
“How this Marine responded was very physical, ” said Stapleton, who also serves as president of Soteria Solutions, a nonprofit focused on creating safe and respectful living environments. “It was an extreme. “But passengers on that subway train could have intervened to help Neely before he was ever put in a chokehold, both experts said, suggesting someone could have offered to give him a granola bar or water bottle.
“It’s possible that a helpful, caring, compassionate response could have deescalated the situation,” Berkowitz said. Read the original article on Insider.
From: insider
URL: https://www.insider.com/daniel-penny-jordan-neely-intervene-bystander-experts-2023-5
