After the chokehold death of a homeless man in the New York subway, the responsible passenger has been charged. Ex-soldier Daniel Penny turned himself in to the police on Friday and was brought before a judge for so-called second-degree manslaughter. The 24-year-old was then released on bail. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

The death of 30-year-old Jordan Neely, who had earned money in the past as a Michael Jackson impersonator, had triggered outrage in early May. According to witnesses, the African-American had started yelling at passengers in a subway. However, he is not said to have physically attacked anyone. Passenger Penny overpowered Neely and, lying on the ground, put him in a chokehold for minutes.

Neely lost consciousness and was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The forensic medicine classified the case as death through the fault of others, the cause of death was therefore a squeezing of the neck.

Action triggers nationwide debate

The death of the homeless man, who according to his family suffered from mental health problems, made headlines nationwide. Activists and left-wing lawmakers demanded the arrest of Penny, who was initially released after being questioned by police. There were repeated protests, but also voices defending Penny.

The Manhattan prosecutor's office then decided, in the course of an investigation, to charge the 24-year-old with second-degree manslaughter. In the state of New York, this charge means that someone has caused the death of another person through gross negligence. An intention to kill is not assumed. The indictment has yet to be formally confirmed by a so-called grand jury, as reported by US media.

Neely family attorney Lennon Edwards said Friday Penny should have been charged with murder. "We need a whole glass of justice here."

The lawyers of the former marine, on the other hand, were confident that their client would be acquitted. "He risked his life and safety for the benefit of the other passengers. The unfortunate outcome was the unintentional and unforeseen death of Mr. Neely."

According to media reports, Neely had been repeatedly arrested in the past. According to the report, he suffered from mental health problems after his mother was murdered. Neely was a teenager at the time.

His death on May 1 touches on two topics that repeatedly make headlines in New York: mental health problems among the city's many homeless people and safety in the subway.