LAWYERED UP

Ex-Marine Who Fatally Choked Man on NYC Subway Hires DA’s Rival: Report

Republican candidate Thomas Kenniff lost the Manhattan district attorney’s election to Alvin Bragg in 2021.

The 24-year-old man who put street performer Jordan Neely in a fatal chokehold on a New York City subway train Monday has hired a lawyer—the Manhattan district attorney’s onetime rival, according to the New York Post. Thomas Kenniff, a Republican, lost the district attorney’s election to current DA Alvin Bragg in 2021. It is Bragg’s office that is currently weighing whether to bring criminal charges against the 24-year-old former Marine, who police sources said is from Queens. Kenniff declined to comment on the matter to the Post. A spokesperson for Bragg’s office confirmed a “rigorous” investigation remained ongoing Thursday, with prosecutors reviewing the medical examiner’s report, interviewing witnesses, and assessing evidence. The man, who has not been publicly named, was questioned by police after Neely’s killing, but was not arrested. Neely, a homeless 30-year-old who’d been yelling at the subway car’s passengers, died after the man reportedly held him in a chokehold for 15 minutes.