On Monday, 30-year-old Jordan Neely died after being restrained in a rear naked choke by a 24-year-old former Marine. Neely, who was homeless, purportedly lost consciousness as a result of the chokehold, after which point emergency responders were unable to revive him.
The 24-year-old was initially taken into custody by law enforcement, but later released without charges. The city’s medical examiner on Wednesday ruled the death a homicide via compression of the neck. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is investigating Neely’s death to determine whether charges are warranted.
"One element we haven’t talked about is the billion-dollar investment in mental health services so we don’t have people who are homeless in our subways, many of them in the throes of mental health episodes. And that’s what I believe are some of the factors here," Hochul said in a statement on the incident. "There are consequences for behavior. I will look at it more closely to find out whether the state has a role."
Neely, who law enforcement sources have reportedly said was arrested numerous times in the past, was purportedly yelling at passengers prior to being placed in the chokehold.
Hochul called the incident "deeply disturbing," but noted that the number of crimes on New York City subways is declining.
"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," Adams said of the incident.
The city has made record investments in providing care to those who need it and getting people off the streets and subways, Adams added.
Adams appeared on a US broadcaster Wednesday evening, where he criticized US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) for characterizing the incident as a "murder" in a tweet.
"I don’t think that’s very responsible at the time where we’re still investigating the situation," Adams said.
The incident has sparked some protests in the city, where demonstrators have called for the arrest of the passenger who restrained Neely.