Thousands of individuals have contributed to the legal defense fund of the former U.S. Marine who is accused of murdering a crazed New York City transit passenger earlier this month.

More than 21,000 donors had contributed to the GiveSendGo account set up for Daniel Penny as of Saturday morning, less than twenty-four hours after it went live.

“All contributions are greatly appreciated. Any proceeds collected which exceed those necessary to cover Mr. Penny’s legal defense will be donated to a mental health advocacy program in New York City,” the site says.

This week, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg filed criminal charges against Penny for choking Jordan Neely, a black man with a history of violence and mental health issues, for threatening fellow subway passengers.

On Friday, 24-year-old Daniel Penny surrendered to authorities in connection with the death of Neely. Bragg’s office made the decision to prosecute Penny, according to NBC 4 in New York.

CeFaan Kim, an ABC correspondent, stated on Twitter that Penny will be charged with Second-Degree Manslaughter.

Wednesday, the medical examiner of New York City verified that Neely’s death was caused by a “chokehold.” The M.E. classified the incident as a “homicide,” but additional legal proceedings would be required to establish intent or liability.

Penny’s attorneys released a statement late last week regarding Neely’s death, stating that their client “was involved in a tragic incident on the New York City Subway” that resulted in Neely’s death.

The statement, which was issued by Raiser and Kenniff, P.C., continued:

We would first like to extend our condolences to Mr. Neely’s loved ones on behalf of Daniel Penny. Mr. Neely had a documented history of violent and erratic behavior, which was presumably the result of a persistent and untreated mental illness. When Mr. Neely began threatening Daniel Penny and the other passengers aggressively, Daniel and the other passengers acted to defend themselves until assistance arrived. Daniel had no intention of harming Mr. Neely and was unable to predict his untimely demise.

Those with mental illness have been regarded with indifference for far too long. We hope that this terrible tragedy will spur our elected officials to address the mental health crisis on our streets and subways.

According to freelance journalist Juan Alberto Vazquez and a report from The New York Post, witnesses reported that Neely engaged in a hostile tirade in the subway on Monday afternoon. According to witnesses, he displayed erratic behavior and yelled that he was unconcerned about going to prison.

Penny and at least one additional passenger moved to subdue Neely, who had been arrested at least 42 times in the previous decade. But under the Democratic leadership of New York City, he never received the mental health care he appeared to require.

Neely’s most recent arrest occurred in November 2021, when he was charged with felony assault for allegedly striking a 67-year-old woman in the face. The victim sustained significant injuries as a result of the assault, and Neely was subsequently imprisoned for more than a year, according to the New York Daily News.

More on this story via Conservative Brief:

Friday morning, Fox News reported that Penny, 24, a college student, had surrendered to authorities. CONTINUE READING…