Man dies on New York subway after fellow passenger puts him in headlock
- Jordan Neely, 30, appeared to be having a mental health episode on the train when he was taken to the floor and restrained by other riders
- The passenger who subdued him, a 24-year-old US Marine veteran, was taken into custody then released without charges
![Police officers respond to the scene where a fight was reported on a subway train in New York on Monday. Photo: Paul Martinka via AP](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1020x680/public/d8/images/canvas/2023/05/04/513f00c1-50df-45d3-bc5c-8e80302ec62a_5db4436a.jpg?itok=cJumzqj2&v=1683149253)
A man suffering an apparent mental health episode aboard a New York subway died this week after being placed in a headlock by a fellow rider, according to police officials and video of the encounter.
Jordan Neely, 30, was shouting and pacing aboard an F train in Manhattan on Monday afternoon, witnesses and police said, when he was taken to the floor by another passenger.
Video of the altercation posted online by a freelance journalist showed the man lying beneath Neely, holding him in a headlock position for several minutes as Neely tried and failed to break free.
A second passenger pinned Neely’s arms while a third held down his shoulder. It was unclear why the group had moved to restrain him.
Neely lost consciousness during the struggle, according to a New York City Police Department spokesperson. EMTs and police arrived after the train stopped at a station. Neely was pronounced dead at a Manhattan hospital shortly after. The city’s medical examiner is investigating the cause of death.
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