AOC slammed by NYC mayor for saying Jordan Neely was murdered
Rachel Schilke
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) came under fire for saying a man who was killed on the New York City subway this week was “murdered.”
Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams said claims that Jordan Neely, a homeless black man, was “murdered” after his death was ruled a homicide are not “very responsible.”
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“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,” the New York representative wrote.
https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1653880169516466178
Adams released a statement about the incident, referencing several factors that appeared to contribute to Neely’s death.
“Any loss of life is tragic,” Adams said in a statement. “We do know 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. And I need all election officials and advocacy groups to join us in prioritizing getting people the care they need and not just allowing them to languish.
Ocasio-Cortez responded, calling Adams’ statement a “new low.
“This honestly feels like a new low: not being able to clearly condemn a public murder because the victim was of a social status some would deem ‘too low’ to care about,” she said. “The last sentence is especially rich from an admin trying to cut the very services that could have helped him.”
Later, on CNN Primetime, Adams was asked about his thoughts on Ocasio-Cortez’s responses to Neely’s death.
“I don’t think that’s very responsible at a time when we’re still investigating the situation. Let’s let the DA conduct his investigation with the law enforcement officials. To really interfere with that is not the right thing to do,” he replied. “And I’m going to be responsible and allow them to do their job and allow them to determine what exactly happened here.”
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner released the cause of death on Wednesday as “compression of neck” or a “chokehold” and ruled Neely’s death a homicide. Neely, 30, was placed in a chokehold on Monday by a 24-year-old passenger after sources claim Neely had been agitated and screaming for people to help him with food or water.
No charges have been announced in the case involving Neely’s death as of Thursday. The medical examiner’s cause of death ruling itself does not determine intent or culpability.
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Neely went unconscious after the 24-year-old held him in a chokehold for approximately 2 minutes and 55 seconds. He was transported to the hospital but died on Monday afternoon.
Witnesses say that Neely was screaming, “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.” While appearing agitated, he did not assault anyone on the train, witnesses told police. Neely was homeless and struggled with mental health. He was best known for being a Michael Jackson impersonator and for his performances in Times Square.