“We are sending a very clear message in Pennsylvania, the use of AI to harm others, especially our children, will not be tolerated,” said state Sen. Tracy Pennycuick.A Marine veteran who used a chokehold on an agitated subway rider was acquitted on Monday in a death that became a prism for differing views about public safety, valor and vigilantism. A Manhattan jury cleared Daniel Penny of criminally negligent homicide in Jordan Neely ’s 2023 death. A more serious manslaughter charge was dismissed last week because the jury deadlocked on that count. Penny, who had shown little expression during the trial, briefly smiled as the verdict was read. While celebrating later with his attorneys, he said he felt “great.” Both applause and anger erupted in the courtroom, and Neely's father and two supporters were ushered out after audibly reacting. Another person also left, wailing with tears. “It really, really hurts,” Neely’s father, Andre Zachery, said outside the courthouse. “I had enough of this. The system is rigged." The case amplified many American fault lines, among them race, politics, crime, urban life, mental illness and homelessness. Neely was Black. Penny is white. There were sometimes dueling demonstrations outside the courthouse, including on Monday. High-profile Republican politicians portrayed Penny as a hero while prominent Democrats attended Neely’s funeral. Penny’s attorneys argued he was protecting himself and other subway passengers from a volatile, mentally ill man who was making alarming remarks and gestures. Penny “finally got the justice he deserved,” one of his lawyers, Thomas Kenniff, said while celebrating the outcome with him at a downtown Manhattan pub. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat whose office brought the case, said prosecutors “followed the facts and the evidence from beginning to end” and respect the verdict. The anonymous jury, which had started deliberating Tuesday, was escorted out of court to a van. Andre Zachary, father of Jordan Neely, and attorney Donte Mills outside the criminal court, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah) Penny, 26, served four years in the Marines and went on to study architecture. Neely, 30, was a sometime subway performer with a tragic life story: His mother was killed and stuffed in a suitcase when he was a teenager. As a younger man, Neely did Michael Jackson tributes — complete with moonwalks — on the city’s streets and subways. But Neely also struggled with mental illness after losing his mother, whose boyfriend was convicted of murdering her. He subsequently was diagnosed with depression and schizophrenia, was repeatedly hospitalized, and used the synthetic cannabinoid K2 and realized it negatively affected his thinking and behavior, according to medical records seen at the trial. The drug was in his system when he died. Neely told a doctor in 2017 that being homeless, living in poverty and having to “dig through the garbage” for food made him feel so hopeless that he sometimes thought of killing himself, hospital records show. About six years later, he boarded a subway under Manhattan on May 1, 2023, hurled his jacket onto the floor, and declared that he was hungry and thirsty and didn’t care if he died or went to jail, witnesses said. Some told 911 operators that he tried to attack people or indicated he’d harm riders, and several testified that they were afraid. Neely was unarmed, with nothing but a muffin in his pocket, and didn’t touch any passengers. One said he made lunging movements that alarmed her enough that she shielded her 5-year-old from him. Penny came up behind Neely, grabbed his neck, took him to the floor and “put him out,” as the veteran told police at the scene. Passengers' video showed that at one point during the roughly six-minute hold, Neely tapped an onlooker’s leg and gestured to him. Later, he briefly got an arm free. But he went still nearly a minute before Penny released him. “He’s dying,” an unseen bystander said in one video. “Let him go!” A witness who stepped in to hold down Neely’s arms testified that he told Penny to free the man, though Penny’s lawyers noted the witness’ story changed significantly over time. Penny told detectives shortly after the encounter that Neely threatened to kill people and the chokehold was an attempt to “de-escalate” the situation until police could arrive. The veteran said he held on so long because Neely periodically tried to break loose. “I wasn’t trying to injure him. I’m just trying to keep him from hurting anyone else. He’s threatening people. That’s what we learn in the Marine Corps,” Penny told the detectives. However, one of Penny's Marine Corps instructors testified that the veteran misused a chokehold technique he’d been taught. A person protests the not guilty verdict of Daniel Penny, not pictured, outside the criminal court, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah) Prosecutors said Penny reacted far too forcefully to someone he perceived as a peril, not a person. Prosecutors also argued that any need to protect passengers quickly ebbed when the train doors opened at the next station, seconds after Penny took action. Although Penny told police he’d used “a choke” or “a chokehold,” one of his lawyers, Steven Raiser, cast it as a Marine-taught chokehold “modified as a simple civilian restraint.” The defence lawyers contended Penny didn’t consistently apply enough pressure to kill Neely. Contradicting a city medical examiner’s finding, a pathologist hired by the defence said Neely died not from the chokehold but from the combined effects of K2, schizophrenia, his struggle and restraint, and a blood condition that can lead to fatal complications during exertion. Penny did not testify, but relatives, friends and fellow Marines did — describing him as an upstanding, patriotic and empathetic man. The manslaughter charge would have required proving that Penny recklessly caused Neely's death. Criminally negligent homicide involves engaging in serious “blameworthy conduct” while not perceiving such a risk. Both charges were felonies punishable by prison time. During the criminal trial, Neely’s father filed a wrongful death suit against Penny. __ Associated Press journalists Joseph B. Frederick and Ted Shaffrey contributed.
State revenue is forecast to decline as Kentucky lawmakers prepare another income tax cutWhen building upper body endurance, many people default to using weights or machines to execute exercises like bicep curls with dumbbells or lat pulldowns. However, a no-equipment arm workout utilizing your bodyweight can be just as effective at developing strength and muscle endurance in the arms and upper body. Bodyweight movements engage stabilizing muscles (which help keep you balanced and aligned during everyday movement) and improve functional strength. They also boast a unique advantage: you can do them anywhere — and without the need for equipment. Plus, bodyweight exercises help improve coordination, mobility, and overall muscle control. Whether you're at home or in the gym, incorporating bodyweight movements into your upper body routine offers maximum flexibility and strengthening potential. This upper body circuit, which I designed utilizing my background as a strength and conditioning specialist, features a blend of compound exercises and isolation exercises that target all major muscle groups in the upper body, focusing on challenging the arms and shoulders , along with the chest and back. Compound movements — such as push-ups, plank shoulder taps, and the crab walk — work multiple muscle groups simultaneously, building overall strength and improving functional fitness. Meanwhile, isolated movements (or isolation exercises) like standing "Y," "T," and "I" shapes (YTI's) allow you to target smaller muscle groups in the upper back region. I also combined "push" exercises (targeting the chest, shoulders, and triceps) and "pull" exercises (focusing on the back and biceps) to create a balanced workout that helps reduce muscle imbalances. You'll find YTI movements or isolation exercises highlighting the rotator cuff (including the trapezius and shoulder girdle) to promote total upper body development. The goal is to challenge your muscles through varied motions while strengthening your upper body and core. And with no equipment required, you can start on these exercises today. No-Equipment Arm Circuit Workout Equipment needed: None. But you can always use a yoga or exercise mat for floor-based movements. To increase intensity, consider using light hand weights or dumbbells for specific movements. Directions: Start with a quick dynamic warm-up , including five minutes of low intensity cardio (like walking in place, lightly jogging or hopping, or jumping jacks). This workout is divided into a circuit of three sets with three exercises in each set. Beginners should aim to complete each circuit three times through, or four times for more intermediate/advanced folks, performing each exercise for 30 seconds and resting for 60 to 90 seconds between each circuit. For a cool down , focus on three to five minutes of low-intensity cardio, like a light walk on the treadmill or slow cycle on the bike, followed by foam rolling and gentle stretching. Circuit 1 Plank Hold or Plank Up-Down onto Forearms Y T I's Jumping Jacks Circuit 2 Push Up Bear Crawl Crab Walk Circuit 3 Side Plank Hold or with Rotation Tricep Dips Plank with Shoulder Taps Plank Hold Y T I’s If you have access to doorframes, a suspension trainer system like TRX , or equipment at a park or gym, you can also perform bodyweight rows to emphasize a pulling motion. Jumping Jacks Push Up Bear Crawl Crab Walk Side Plank Hold or with Rotation How to Do Reverse Planks, According to Experts Tricep Dips Plank with Shoulder Taps Jade Esmeralda (she/her), MS, CSCS, is a health and fitness staff writer and a strength and conditioning specialist. A lifelong martial artist and dancer, Jade has a strong passion for strength and conditioning, sports science, and human performance. She graduated with a Master of Science degree in exercise science and strength and conditioning from George Washington University.Intech Investment Management LLC Makes New Investment in McGrath RentCorp (NASDAQ:MGRC)
