A Bronx man who helped Daniel Penny restrain Jordan Neely on a New York City subway car last year ”jumped in and tried to help” so Penny could release his chokehold, according to the man’s testimony Wednesday at Penny’s manslaughter and negligent homicide trial.
Eric Gonzalez, who is seen on video holding Neely by the wrist, boarded the subway at Broadway-Lafayette and noticed Penny holding down Neely “with his legs around his waist and his arm around his neck.”
Gonzalez testified he did not know why Penny, a former Marine, was restraining Neely but he heard people yelling for police to be called. He also said he noticed “Jordan Neely’s clothing was that of a vagrant, as if he was homeless, dirty, ripped off.”
Gonzalez said he waved his hands in front of Penny’s face to get his attention.
“I said, ‘I will grab his hands so you can let go,’” Gonzalez told the jury. “Just giving him a different option to hold his arm — well, to restrain him until the police came.”