Daniel (Penny) in the Lion’s Den

Daniel Penny was found not guilty of criminal negligent homicide in the death of Jordan Neely in New York City. By all credible accounts, Mr. Penny was trying to protect himself and other passengers on the subway after being accosted by Jordan Neely. Penny restrained Neely with a choke hold that ultimately contributed to his death. If the death had not occurred, Penny would have been considered a hero.

We often see submissive choke holds used in organized spectator fighting. They carry names like Rear Naked Choke, Guillotine, Anaconda, Arm Triangle, etc. Most fighters, who are unable to free themselves from such holds “tap out.” They surrender. In this case, it appeared there was no effort to “tap out.”

I have dealt with mental patients off and on my whole career in law enforcement. Some are passive, but others have been very violent. I have fought with many and sometimes wanted to “tap out” myself. I couldn’t of course. Once started, a fight has to reach a conclusion of some sort. Peace Officers don’t have that luxury and one can’t stop mid-fight and say, “Oh, its OK now, we can move on. Have a nice day!” Mental patients do not think rationally. They interact with others, but their thinking process is impaired. Some can be very dangerous.

This whole situation is a tragedy for all involved. By all accounts Neely had a horrible life. Those he accosted will be mentally scarred by what they saw. Penny’s life will never be the same. As a peace officer, when I was 20 years old. I stood over a man who robbed a convenience store as his soul passed from this world. He was shot and killed by my patrol partner after a shoot-out where I could very well have been killed myself. A bullet, fired from a handgun by the suspect, struck inches from my face. The images of that night are as fresh today as they were 46 years ago.

Appalling in the Neely/Penny case is the reactions of others. Members of Black Lives Matter, Al Sharpton and others have again tried to stir up racial hatred. They are wrong. I doubt that race was even a minor element in what occurred. Using the race card has got to stop. We have to come together. Mental patients have to have help available, but getting them to cooperate with doctors is a whole different story.

Please pray that we all do better! Please pray for the soul lost and the lives of those marred by this, yet another tragedy.

UPDATE: I just saw a media report and video of some fool with a megaphone threatening Daniel Penny and saying that he is no longer welcome in New York. Please! This is idiocy at it’s finest. The justice system did its job! Let’s move on, shall we?