Jordan Neely was a 30-year-old Black man with a history of mental illness. If you Google “subway train” his name will pull up, and so will the gut-wrenching details surrounding his cold-blooded murder at the hands of a passenger — a white man who decided to take matters into his own hands.
Jordan Neely didn’t have to die. He didn’t deserve to be stuck in a deadly chokehold until his flailing arms suddenly became still from defeat. His killer didn’t have the right to permanently silence an unarmed victim simply based on his vulnerabilities as a homeless man who had reached the end of his rope.
It’s hard to believe that I’ve lived in New York City off and on for more than 20 years, and in all that time, I’ve been exposed to all sorts while riding the subway. From colorful performers hoping for a break to earnest beggars pleading for whatever passengers can spare — there’s never a shortage of characters filtering in and out of crowded cars.
As far back as I can remember, there was always the strong warning to refrain from standing too close to the platforms to avoid being an easy target for those with nefarious motives.
According to reports — Jordan Neely boarded the train and began ranting about his precarious situation. He allegedly took off his jacket and tossed it to the ground. It sounds like a scenario I…
