Kid Rock And Ron DeSantis Defend NYC Marine Vet ‘Hero’ In Death Of Erratic Homeless Man

ANALYSIS – By now most of us have heard of the controversial case of Marine veteran Daniel Penny who put an erratic, and some say dangerous, mentally ill man in a chokehold on the NYC subway on May 1^st. Penny has become a hero to many and is getting the backing he deserves.

The homeless man was Jordan Neely, and he had a long criminal rap sheet and a history of mental problems. Penny is white, and Neely was Black.

Crime is rampant in New York City, and its once-safe subway has become a haven for sometimes dangerous mentally ill homeless people. People have recently been pushed onto the subway tracks before oncoming trains, and one person was killed like this.

Conservatives, including me, call Penny a hero and are rooting for him. Liberal activists claim Penny had no right to take Neely's life.

Some say Penny held Neely in the hold for a long time. But at least two other passengers helped Penny hold Neely down.

Manhattan's District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, also the same Soros-backed prosecutor who is gunning for Donald Trump, has charged the Marine vet with second-degree manslaughter without convening a grand jury. Penny faces up to 15 years in prison if tried and convicted.

The city medical examiner ruled Neely's death a homicide, noting he died due to “compression of neck (chokehold).”

Neely's family has said Penny should be tried for murder.

This was bound to be a big national issue. And it is.

Now, Kid Rock (born Robert Ritchie) has joined Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in calling Penny a hero and helping his legal defense fund. Kid Rock gave $5,000 to Penny's defense, making him a top donor.

“Mr. Penny is a hero. Alvin Bragg is a POS. Kid Rock,” was his message on the Christian crowdfunding website GiveSendGo.

But others have given even more.

Political commentator and podcaster Tim Pool gave $20,000, and Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy donated $10,000.

Meanwhile, DeSantis launched a fundraising campaign, which has, of course, drawn fire from Democrats and other critics. But when asked about it Tuesday, DeSantis said: “Vets look out for other vets.”

In total, nearly $2 million has been raised so far to defend Penny.

His attorneys, who argue that Penny never intended to hurt or kill Neely, simply restrain him, say donations have kept pouring in because the case has “struck a chord” with people across the country.

And in a way, it is a clear dividing line between left-wing Democrats who allow and enable crime in our cities, giving criminals, illegal migrants and homeless people more rights than tax-paying citizens and those who are fed up with all of it.

“This guy is a hero in my eyes,” one anonymous donor wrote. “He should get a medal for what he did, not jail time … We need to take our City back. God bless this guy for trying to help.”

And the angry citizens are right. Enough is enough. As a Marine and someone who has witnessed or been involved in aggressive or criminal incidents on the much safer D.C. subway, I totally understand Penny and back his defense.

But the criminal case will revolve around whether Penny was justified in restraining Neely or whether he went too far. And that will be based on whether Neely was seen as a real threat.

Some witnesses have stated that Neely was acting erratically and threatening other passengers before Penny stepped in. Others claim Neely was obnoxious and clearly off but not really a threat.

Witnesses have said that before Penny responded, Neely was yelling, “I don't have food, I don't have anything to drink, I'm fed up.” Apparently having a breakdown, he added, “I don't mind going to jail and getting life in prison; I'm ready to die.”

That sounds pretty ominous to me.

Unknown to Penny at the time, there was also an outstanding warrant for Neely's arrest for felony assault. The New York Times reported that Neely had been arrested four times on charges of punching people, two of them on the subway.

He was clearly potentially dangerous.

As a security professional, I can say it's always a hard call to put your hands on someone, especially if they appear unstable or under the influence.

I generally try to use other means to de-escalate or end the problem. In police work, it's called the ‘use of force continuum.'

First, use your authority and presence, then other ‘less than lethal' weapons like pepper spray, before using force such as a baton or your hands. And the last resort is always lethal force, including your firearm.

It has always worked for me, including during violent Black Lives Matter (BLM) riots in D.C.

But many cops aren't so lucky. And Penny isn't a cop or security professional. He is a Marine veteran with his own training and instincts.

He seems to have acted honorably to restrain a potential threat. Now it's up to an NYC grand jury to decide if he deserves to be tried in court.

But come what may, at least this Marine hero will have a growing war chest to give him the best possible defense.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

READ NEXT: Fox News Bows To Pressure From Liberal Media, Alters Language When Referring To Terrorists