Christopher Neely, the uncle of Jordan Neely, was arrested on Monday for allegedly pickpocketing near the Port Authority Bus Terminal, police said on Tuesday.
Neely had allegedly been stealing purses from restaurants, according to the New York Post. His arrest comes after he vehemently denounced Daniel Penny, the white male charged in the death of his nephew on a New York subway this month.
“Neely was also allegedly wanted for a pattern of grand larceny, including the handbag thefts, according to the sources,” reported the Post. “A member of the NYPD’s pickpocket team spotted Neely, of Hamilton Heights, at about 11 p.m. Monday near the Manhattan bus station.”
“He allegedly took off when the officer approached him — and fought back when cops caught up to him after a brief chase, the sources said,” it added. “Eventually, authorities cuffed him and charged him with criminal possession of stolen property, resisting arrest, bail jumping and unlawful possession of a weapon.”
This month, a medical examiner in New York deemed the death of Jordan Neely a homicide. The incident occurred on the F train at the East Houston and Lafayette Street station after Neely had been allegedly throwing trash and yelling at passengers about his economic misfortunes. Neely had a history of mental issues and often frequented the station as a Michael Jackson impersonator. He also had an active warrant for his arrest for a felony assault. Per CBS News:
Police sources say around 2:30 Tuesday afternoon, Neely was allegedly throwing trash, yelling at passengers and acting erratically on the F train at the east Houston and Lafayette street station.
Things quickly escalated when the 24-year-old tried to subdue him by using what appears to be a chokehold.
CBS2 has learned Neely was homeless, had a history of mental illness, and had an active warrant out for his arrest for a felony assault.
Neely lost consciousness and eventually died after being held in the chokehold for several minutes, according to police.
“NYPD busted Neely 42 times across the last decade and he had a documented mental health history with police, with his most recent arrest in November 2021 for slugging a 67-year-old female stranger in the face. A warrant for his arrest on felony assault charges was issued on Feb. 23,” according to the New York Daily News.
Daniel Penny has maintained that he never intended to harm Neely and several witnesses appear to have backed up his claim.
“I’m sitting on a train reading my book, and, all of a sudden, I hear someone spewing this rhetoric,” one eyewitness told Fox News. “He said, ‘I don’t care if I have to kill an F, I will. I’ll go to jail, I’ll take a bullet.’”
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged the 25-year-old Penny with second-degree manslaughter.
Speaking to the New York Post last Sunday, Jordan Neely’s uncle, Christopher, said he did not believe that Penny deserved a plea deal.
“I want this to go to trial,” Christopher said. “He has too much confidence in himself and has to be taught what he did was wrong.”
Christopher Neely also called for the two men who aided Daniel Penny to be prosecuted as well.
“They have to be held accountable,” Christopher said. “The Penny, the nickel and the dime should all be charged.”
Paul Roland Bois joined Breitbart News in 2021. He also directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed on Tubi, Google Play, YouTube Movies, or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.
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