An uncle of Jordan Neely, the deranged homeless ex-con choked to death on the subway this month, was arrested in New York City near the Port Authority Bus Terminal for stealing purses from restaurants police said.
Christopher Neely, 44, has been acting as a spokesman for the Neely family speaking out about the case and calling for severe punishment for the hero Marine Daniel Penny.
After a brief struggle with police, Neely was cuffed and stuffed and charged with criminal possession of stolen property, resisting arrest, bail jumping and unlawful possession of a weapon.
Christopher said earlier about Penny: “He needs to be prosecuted or he will do it again.
“It’s a smack in the face for Jordan’s family and the people of New York.
“I want this to go to trial.
“He has too much confidence in himself and has to be taught what he did was wrong.”
Penny broke his silence in an interview with the New York Post recently.
He said: “This had nothing to do with race. I judge a person based on their character. I’m not a white supremacist. I mean, it’s, it’s a little bit comical. Everybody who’s ever met me can tell you, I love all people, I love all cultures.
“You can tell by my past and all my travels and adventures around the world. I was actually planning a road trip through Africa before this happened. I’m a normal guy. I was going to my gym. There’s a pool there. I like to swim. I was living in the East Village.
“I take the subway multiple times a day. I think the New York transit system is the best in the world and I’ve been all over the world.”
When asked what he would say to Jordan Neely’s family he said:
“I’m deeply saddened by the loss of life.
It’s tragic what happened to him. Hopefully, we can change the system that’s so desperately failed us.”
When asked if he would do it again he said he would.
“You know, I live an authentic and genuine life.
“And I would — if there was a threat and danger in the present…
“I always do what I think is right.”
Penny was asked about comments made by Al Sharpton, the man who gave a noxious eulogy for Neely that was full of falsehoods, and Penny hit Al where it really hurts by saying he doesn’t know who Sharpton is.
“I don’t really know celebrities that well.”
He said about dealing with sudden notoriety and the sham charges from Alvin Bragg:
“If you’re faced with all these challenges, you have to remain calm. What’s the point of worrying about something, worrying is not going to make your problems disappear.
“I attribute this to my father and grandfather. They are very very stoic.”
“I don’t have social media because I really don’t like the attention and I just think there are better ways to spend your time.
“I don’t like the limelight.”
Penny, who was deployed twice with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, said of joining the service:
“Growing up in the wake of 9/11 and the terrorist attacks in a community full of firemen, first responders, police officers, it was like, I needed to serve my community in some way.
“We went to Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, Greece and Spain.
“We stayed off the coast of Iran for a bit. It was during that whole drone thing when they were shooting stuff down and stuff.
“I love to travel.
“It really changed my perspective of the world for sure. I’m very thankful for being able to travel so much.
“Just the friendliness and welcoming of everyone and everywhere that I went to.
“And even before I deployed, you know, a lot of my friends I served with in my platoon came from all over a lot from Central America and Mexico, that, you know, I’ve opened up my, my eyes to their cultures and their perspectives.
“I loved leading Marines and I love being around Marines.
“I love helping people.”
Penny’s attorney Thomas Kenniff said:
“I can tell you that the threats, the menacing, the terror that Jordan Neely introduced to that train has already been well documented.
“I don’t think it’s going to even be controverted.
“There are numerous witnesses from all different walks of life who have absolutely no motive to do anything other than to recount what actually happened.
“They are uniform in their recollection of events.”
