A Manhattan jury’s decision to acquitDaniel Penny of criminally negligent homicide in the 2023 death of Jordan Neely on Monday caused quite a reaction on social media.
That’s not surprising, considering the case became, as The Associated Press put it, “a flashpoint in the nation’s debate over racial injustice and crime.”
Penny, who is white, physically restrained Neely, a Black man, on a subway train in May 2023, leading to Neely’s death. Medical examiners ruled the death a homicide.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis (R) took to X, formerly Twitter, to declare the acquittal “clearly the just and correct verdict,” while adding that he “was skeptical that a jury in New York City would reach a unanimous not guilty verdict.”
However, others, such as broadcaster Medhi Hasan, pointed out how the race of the two men might play a factor how people are reacting.
Others on X were also supportive of the verdict, while there appeared to be more skepticism on BlueSky and Threads.
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