Rider’s testimony puts the lie to DA’s cynical race-baiting in Daniel Penny trial

Daniel Penny has been smeared arsenic a vigilante and a racist, but nan truth is slow being revealed astatine his trial: The Marine vet tried to do nan correct point and protect others successful an intolerable business — and sewage arrested and charged pinch manslaughter for it.

On May 1, 2023, mentally sick bum man Jordan Neely charged onto an F Train and began ranting astatine his captive chap passengers.

Witnesses person said that Neely claimed he “didn’t attraction astir going backmost to jail” and ominously warned that “someone is going to dice today” earlier Penny put him into a clasp to subdue him, which led to Neely’s decease aft constabulary arrived.

The prosecution wants jurors to judge that Penny was overzealous, that he overreacted to Neely’s threats.

Most of all, nan DA’s agency wants to punctual jurors that Penny is white and Neely was black, arsenic Assistant DA Jillian Shartrand did erstwhile she many times referred to Penny arsenic “the achromatic man” successful court.

The intent of that is obvious: Make this lawsuit astir race, not safety.

But nan prosecution’s ain first witnesser threw acold h2o connected that cynical tactic.

On Monday, high-school student Ivette Rosario, who caught a shaky video of nan brushwood arsenic she trembled pinch fear, testified that Neely’s menacing made her truthful nervous she thought she was “going to walk out,” and noted: “I’ve been successful situations connected nan train wherever worldly was said, but not for illustration this.”

Rosario thought she was successful existent danger, arsenic galore others connected that train apt did.

That was what made Penny leap into action, not his tegument colour aliases Neely’s.

Neely’s communicative is simply a tragic one: He had a history of intelligence illness and was moreover hospitalized nether a plea woody successful an battle case, yet was allowed to motion himself retired of inpatient treatment.

If there’s a villain successful this case, it’s nan inept and hands-off mental-health strategy that fto Neely beryllium connected nan streets that day, alternatively of successful a psychiatric bed.

It’s a justness strategy that cares much astir title than keeping New Yorkers (of each races) safe.

Rosario made different important constituent for nan defense: Even though successful her video, different passengers tin beryllium heard telling Penny to fto spell of Neely, she said she didn’t perceive nan protests “in nan moment” connected nan train.

Likely because it was a chaotic, harrowing business that no one connected that train car should person been in.

We’ll ne'er cognize if Neely would person followed done connected nan threats he made connected nan train that day, but 1 thing’s for sure: The city’s refusal to do its occupation led to Neely’s death.

Gotham’s surgery mental-health strategy and loony leftism should beryllium connected trial, not Daniel Penny.