Chaos erupted in Lower Manhattan on Monday night as protesters fuming over the killing of Jordan Neely clashed with the NYPD on the one-week anniversary of his death.
Eleven were arrested — including a credentialed press photographer — and police also recovered a Molotov cocktail, in the wake of several bloody brawls, law enforcement sources said.
The night was scheduled to serve as a sorrowful celebration of the life of Jordan Neely with a candlelight vigil one week after he died in a chokehold on an F train, and that is exactly what happened — at first. Demonstrators gathered both outside and inside the Broadway-Lafayette subway station and unleashed a flurry of emotion. Lighting candles above ground and erupting into tears on the platform below, those in attendance embraced one another.
“Jordan Neely! Say his name! Jordan Neely!” the groups chanted in unison as they marched past commuters. Tears trickled from their eyes as they shared thoughts regarding the now-viral video showing former Marine Daniel Penny allegedly killing the street homeless, subway performer with a deadly chokehold.
For many in attendance, it was yet another injustice in America and it served as a fuel that fanned the flames of a powder keg that was about to explode.
Arrests
Fury erupted as police clashed with several impassioned protesters above ground midway through the vigil. While protesters declared that cops wildly cuffed demonstrators, top police brass reported that the arrests were made due to fragrant violations and violent outbursts.
One man was left bleeding profusely from his forehead after being tackled to the concrete roadway by cops while several others were also apprehended and taken into custody.
Another protester, enraged by the arrests, became incensed and hurled racial slurs at Hispanic and Asian officers before likewise finding himself in cuffs.
As police pushed demonstrators back to the sidewalk after they had flooded the roadway, yet another arrest was made — this time a prominent photojournalist who found herself with her hands being forced behind her back. Stephanie Keith whose work has appeared in the likes of the New York Times was placed into the back of a police wagon.
While it did not seem immediately clear why Keith was whisked away in dramatic fashion, NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell told amNewYork Metro that she hindered in arrests being made.
“The reporter interfered in at least two arrests in the middle of the street where it got very physical. She interfered a third time and was placed under arrest,” Chell claimed.
The turbulent situation continued to spiral out of control with even further altercations.
A counter-protester appeared on scene and heckled demonstrators, decrying Neely as being mentally unstable. This resulted in a brutal brawl that left several individuals bloodied and arrested.
Aftermath
Protesters marched from the Broadway-Lafayette station to the 7th Precinct on Delancey Street and Pitt Street, where many of them said they looked to offer support to those who had been detained. However, even more arrests were made outside the station house for what police cited for conduct such as using a microphone without a permit.
NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey spoke at a late evening press conference, calling the killing of Neely a “senseless death” and empathized with the collective outrage over the homicide. But he also criticized several protesters for putting themselves, cops, and the public at risk after police recovered what they believe to be a Molotov cocktail.
“We respect their First Amendment rights. But we will not tolerate people breaking the law and more importantly, not tolerate people bringing weapons and dangerous substances to peaceful protests,” Maddrey said. “This is something that’s dangerous. It could hurt members of the department. It could hurt other protesters. It could hurt innocent people.”
The bottle’s contents will be tested, according to police. Several protesters remained outside of the precinct for several hours.
