The recent incident involving a man who allegedly put a Black homeless man in a fatal chokehold on a New York subway has sparked outrage and controversy across the nation. The incident, which took place last Monday, resulted in the death of 30-year-old Jordan Neely, who was experiencing a mental health crisis at the time.
According to witnesses, Neely was shouting at other passengers on the subway when the altercation began. The passenger who placed him in the chokehold for several minutes has not been charged, leading to concerns about the use of excessive force and the need for better training and support for those dealing with mental health crises.
Despite the tragic outcome of the incident, Fox News’ Sean Hannity took a controversial stance on the matter during his Thursday night show.
Hannity aired cellphone footage of Neely in the chokehold and referred to him as a “mentally ill homeless guy with a long history of violent crime.” While acknowledging Neely lost consciousness during the incident and expressing sympathy for him and his family, Hannity seemed to justify the actions of the Marine veteran who had placed him in the chokehold.
The most shocking moment of the segment, however, came when a member of Hannity’s live studio audience cheered after hearing about the incident. It is unclear whether the individual was aware at the time Neely had died.
You can hear the moment the woman cheered in the video below.
\u201csomeone in the Hannity studio audience cheers for the guy who killed Jordan Neely\u201d— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1683250273
Many were understandably disturbed by the incident and called her out while criticizing Fox News' coverage.
\u201c@atrupar That entire audience was cheering inside.\u201d— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1683250273
\u201c@atrupar Americans bloodlust is unmatched. Racism is so powerful when it\u2019s this deeply rooted.\u201d— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1683250273
\u201c@atrupar Deplorable in every way.\u201d— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1683250273
\u201c@atrupar This is why Fox News deserved to be sued.\u201d— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1683250273
\u201c@atrupar The framing just, \u201cwith a history of violent crime\u201d vs \u201cMarine vet\u201d, Fox just barely trying to hide their glee.\u201d— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1683250273
\u201c@atrupar No surprise here. Hannity's audience is ostensibly Jerry Springer's old audience.\u201d— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1683250273
\u201c@atrupar I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if they lit the applause sign\u201d— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1683250273
\u201c@atrupar The cruelty has always been the point\u201d— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1683250273
Video footage captured by a fellow passenger shows a male with his arm around Neely's neck in a chokehold for approximately 15 minutes.
Two other subway riders also appear to assist in restraining Neely, who was Black. When police arrived on the scene, Neely was nonresponsive and was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
The New York City chief medical examiner's office ruled Neely's death a homicide due to "compression of neck (chokehold)." Neely's family has hired a law firm to represent them, stating Neely suffered from mental illness since the brutal murder of his mother when he was 14 years old.
Politicians and lawmakers are now calling for accountability in the case.
