Legendary golfer Phil Mickelson has expressed his support for Marine veteran Daniel Penny, who is currently awaiting the outcome of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s criminal case against him.
Penny faces multiple charges, including manslaughter and negligent homicide, after restraining Jordan Neely, a homeless man with 42 prior arrests, during an incident on a New York City subway. Witnesses reported that Neely had been making threats, claiming he was “not afraid to die” and endangering passengers before Penny intervened.
When police arrived at the scene, Neely was still alive, but they reportedly refrained from providing life-saving aid due to the condition he was in. Despite these circumstances, Bragg’s office charged Penny in connection with Neely’s death.
As the jury deliberated, six-time major champion Phil Mickelson took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice his support for Penny. Responding to a post by Collin Rugg of Trending Politics News, who called Penny a “model citizen,” Mickelson stated that he agreed with the sentiment.
Rugg had praised Penny for his courage, describing him as part of a rare breed of individuals who prioritize the safety of others over their own. “He didn’t cower or pull out his phone to record when Jordan Neely began threatening to harm passengers. Instead, he acted to protect them,” Rugg wrote, concluding that Penny is the kind of citizen any city should value.
Mickelson echoed this sentiment, writing, “Thank you, Daniel, for serving your country and for protecting the many passengers whose lives were threatened by this violent and deranged individual.”
Mickelson is not the only public figure to back Penny. John Walsh, founder of America’s Most Wanted, also called Penny a hero during a segment on Fox News. Walsh criticized society for failing Neely, who had a long history of mental illness and arrests, and condemned the city’s handling of the case.
After several days of deliberation, the jury could not reach a consensus on the manslaughter charge. Prosecutors requested that the charge be dropped so deliberations could focus solely on negligent homicide. Legal analyst Andy McCarthy criticized this as an attempt to pressure the jury into a compromise verdict.
McCarthy argued that the case was poorly constructed, with the evidence not supporting the recklessness charge. He suggested that if Penny is convicted, his legal team would have strong grounds for an appeal, citing the prolonged deliberation process and the judge’s efforts to encourage a decision as problematic.
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