Former US Marine, Daniel Penny, appeared in court last Friday to be charged with the manslaughter of Jordan Neely who died on May 1st on a subway train in New York. Mr Penny, who did not enter a plea, is accused of causing Mr Neely’s death by placing him in a chokehold when Mr Neely started to act aggressively. Those who witnessed the incident did not report Mr Penny to the police at the time and said that he could not have possibly known that his actions would lead to Mr Neely’s death. The incident became a public matter after a journalist captured the altercation on video which circulated on social media. Following its release, numerous activists, journalists, and politicians called for murder or lynch charges against Penny before all the facts surrounding the incident had been established. Subsequently, it has been revealed that Mr Neely had a history of violent assaults on the subway and was struggling with mental illness. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority recorded more than 2,500 assaults on transport staff and police officers in 2022, indicating that improved provision of mental health services across the US is neccessary.