MTA Chair Janno Lieber, in his first public comments Friday about the choking death of a homeless man, 30-year-old Jordan Neely, on an F train Monday, said the terrible episode broke New Yorkers’ hearts and that it disrupted a place where all New Yorkers have to learn to co-exist.

“It’s the most intimate public space that exists in New York. So when there’s violence, when there’s horror as there was, I’m upset and I’m upset for New York,” Lieber said. “When you’re in the subway together, there are going to be challenges. When you’re in public space together, there are challenges, but we have to find a way to deescalate.”

Much of what is known about Neely’s death came from Juan Alberto Vazquez, who recorded the video and provided details about the incident.


What You Need To Know

  • The Manhattan district attorney's office and the NYPD are investigating Jordan Neely's death

  • Neely was described by a witness of acting aggressively and erratically, but did not hurt anyone in the train car

  • Police and EMTs were unable to revive Neely, who was pronounced dead at a hospital

Vazquez said he had been acting erratically and aggressively on board the train, but did not hurt anybody. All of this happened before a 24-year-old former Marine, who multiple police sources identify as Daniel Penny, put Neely in a chokehold that killed him.

“He erupted in the train and then started to yelling violence language. ‘I don’t care if I die, I don’t care if I go to jail. I don’t have any food, I don’t have any beverage. I’m done,’” Vazquez described. “In this position, the guys stood there six, seven minutes. We arrive at the station, the doors open, all the people run away and the guys stay in this position about eight — seven, eight minutes.”

According to the NYPD, there were multiple 911 calls.

NY1 also has details on how police were notified by the crew on the train where Neely was choked.

2:25 p.m. - The train operator on that F train called into the MTA’s Rail Control Center to report that there was an unruly passenger being subdued by other passengers. NYPD assistance was requested. This report included an uncorroborated detail that Neely was armed. Neely was not armed.

2:27 p.m. - The Rail Control Center notified police and other MTA personnel.

2:36 p.m. - The train operator reports the NYPD is on scene waiting for EMS and is attempting to revive Neely.

2:47 p.m. - NYPD declares the train car a crime scene.

Mark Bederow, a criminal dense attorney and former prosecutor in the Manhattan district attorney’s office, said prosecutors need to find witnesses who were on the train and any additional footage to determine if the former marine was at all justified in using deadly force.

“The real initial question is, why was there a physical encounter at all between these two men,” Bederow said.

NY1 attempted to contact the former Marine but was unable to.

A law firm confirmed it is representing an individual being investigated in this incident but would not comment further. He has not yet been charged with a crime.

The Neely family has retained counsel as well. Their attorney Lennon Edwards said, “Passengers are not supposed to die on the floor of our subways.”