Photo: Getty Images
A 30-year-old man was choked to death by another passenger on a New York City subway car. The man, identified as 30-year-old Jordan Neely by the New York Post, got onto a northbound F train on Monday (May 1) afternoon and started screaming at the passengers.
"He started screaming in an aggressive manner," Juan Alberto Vazquez told the New York Post. "He said he had no food, he had no drink, that he was tired and doesn't care if he goes to jail. He started screaming all these things, took off his jacket, a black jacket that he had, and threw it on the ground."
As Neely continued to scream and yell, a 24-year-old passenger got up and placed him in a chokehold. Neely struggled at first but eventually stopped fighting.
"He moved his arms, but he couldn't express anything," Vazquez said. "All he could do was move his arms. Then suddenly, he just stopped moving. He was out of strength."
The 24-year-old, who is reportedly a Marine veteran, held Neely in the chokehold for about 15 minutes before police arrived. Neely was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The 24-year-old was interviewed by police and released without charges.
Vazquez said he was conflicted about what happened.
"I think that, in one sense, it's fine that citizens want to jump in and help. But I think as heroes, we have to use moderation," he said.
Vazquez recorded a nearly four-minute video of the encounter and shared it on Facebook.
WARNING: VIDEO CONTAINS CONTENT THAT MAY BE DISTURBING TO WATCH