Activist Calls For ‘Black Vigilantes’ Following Daniel Penny Verdict

Following the acquittal of Marine veteran Daniel Penny, who was found not guilty of criminally negligent homicide in the 2023 death of Jordan Neely, activist Walter “Hawk” Newsome made incendiary remarks, seemingly calling for black people to commit violence against white people. Neely, a 30-year-old mentally ill homeless man, died after Penny restrained him in a chokehold on a New York City subway in defense of passengers Neely was threatening.

The incident unfolded on May 2023, when Jordan Neely began to make aggressive comments aboard a subway train in Manhattan. Witnesses reported Neely yelling that he was prepared to die and go to jail, and that he would kill others. According to Penny, who was a former Marine and on the train as the situation unfolded, Neely’s threats were specific and alarming. Penny said that Neely was yelling at passengers, including women and children, and that he feared for their safety.

Penny intervened, subduing Neely by placing him in a chokehold. Video footage of the incident shows Penny restraining Neely on the subway floor, during which Neely became unresponsive, though he maintained his pulse. The video shows Penny checking Neely’s chest and showing signs of distress, emphasizing that he did not intend to kill Neely but was merely attempting to restrain him until the authorities arrived.

After a lengthy trial, a New York City jury found Penny not guilty of criminally negligent homicide, concluding that Penny’s actions did not meet the threshold for criminal liability. The jury considered testimony from over 40 witnesses, including passengers who described Neely’s behavior on the train in detail. Many jurors believed Penny’s actions were not intentionally lethal but driven by a desire to protect others.

In the wake of the verdict, Walter Newsome, an activist who claims to be Neely’s uncle, who is also a co-founder of Black Lives Matter of Greater New York (though Black Lives Matter Global Network has distanced itself from him), declared that “everybody else has vigilantes,” and called for the creation of “black vigilantes.”

“People want to jump up and choke us and kill us for being loud?” Newsome said, ignoring the threats discussed at length in court. “How about we do the same when they attempt to oppress us? I’m tired.” Newsome’s words were widely interpreted as a direct call for racially motivated violence.

Newsome’s also directly threatened Penny, shouting, “It’s a small f**king world, buddy,” after the verdict was delivered. The comment has raised concerns among both supporters and critics of the decision, with many questioning his rhetoric.

“Vigilante justice” is rooted in the notion that when the legal system fails to deliver justice, individuals must take matters into their own hands. Newsome believes the acquittal of Daniel Penny is a failure of the justice system, though it seems he may be ignoring evidence in favor of ideologically driven narratives out of touch with the facts of the case.

Penny, in an interview after the incident, clarified that he was acting in self-defense and to protect other passengers. “I was scared for myself, but I looked around; I saw women and children,” Penny said. “I didn’t want to be put in that situation, but I couldn’t just sit still and let him carry out these threats.”

Penny continued, “I didn’t see a black man threatening passengers. I saw a man threatening passengers, a lot of whom were people of color.”