Homeless man killed on F train after being put in headlock by ex-Marine, ruled a homicide

Jordan Neely, a 30 year-old homeless man placed in a fatal chokehold by another 24 year-old passenger, was found unconscious on a northbound F train on May 1st and subsequently died.

Freelance journalist Juan Alberto Vazquez said in published reports that Neely began yelling “I don’t have food, I don’t have a drink, I’m fed up. I don’t mind going to jail and getting life in prison. I’m ready to die” and began throwing garbage at other passengers. He was then wrestled to the ground by the 24 year-old, who reportedly held the chokehold for up to 15 minutes.

Julie Bolcer, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner, clarified that Neely died from compression to his neck as a result of the chokehold. The medical examiner’s office further confirmed it was ruled a homicide.

Police and EMS workers responded to the Broadway-Lafayette subway station around 2:30 pm but the man was not able to be revived and was pronounced dead at Lenox Hill Hospital. The man who applied the headlock, who was not identified, was taken into custody, but no arrest had not been made at press time.

In an interview with the Daily News, Neely’s father Andre Zachary recounted how Neely’s mother Christie Neely was killed by a boyfriend when he was 14 years old: “His mother perished; she also got killed. And him now? Her boyfriend fatally shot her. And he now? By another person.” He added that his son was a talented Michael Jackson impersonator, but that he hadn’t seen him for four years.

Mayor Eric Adams responded to the public outcry over the killing, saying that “Any loss of life is tragic. There’s a lot we don’t know about what happened here, so I’m going to refrain from commenting further. However, we do know that there were serious mental health issues in play here, which is why our administration has made record investments in providing care to those who need it and getting people off the streets and the subways, and out of dangerous situations.”

Other prominent politicians have expressed outrage over the killing, with Governor Kathy Hochul calling the attack “deeply disturbing” and Congresswoman Alexandra-Ocasio Cortez posting on Twitter that “Jordan Neely was murdered. But bc Jordan was houseless and crying for food in a time when the city is raising rents and stripping services to militarize itself while many in power demonize the poor, the murderer gets protected w/ passive headlines + no charges. It’s disgusting.” She also pointedly criticized Mayor Adams’ statement on the killing.

In a statement, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office said: ”This is a solemn and serious matter that ended in the tragic loss of Jordan Neely’s life. As part of our rigorous ongoing investigation, we will review the Medical Examiner’s report, assess all available video and photo footage, identify and interview as many witnesses as possible, and obtain additional medical records.”