Nearly three weeks after the death of homeless man Jordan Neely, who was suffocated to death by a passenger on a New York subway, his funeral on Friday was an opportunity to demand justice and better treatment for mental health problems. .
Jordan Neely’s family members bid him a final farewell at a church in Harlem, New York.
The 30-year-old African-American, known for his resemblance and impersonations of singer Michael Jackson, died on May 1 after Daniel Penny, a former Marine, killed him by “compressing” his neck aboard a subway train.
A witness told AFP that Jordan Neely had entered the train shouting at passengers, but he had visibly assaulted no one physically.
A video of the tragedy has sparked outrage in the United States and beyond, and her death has brought to light the mental health issues faced by many homeless people, as well as fear, insecurity — particularly in the metro — and the socio-economic inequalities of this megalopolis of 8.5 million inhabitants.
Jordan Neely, who lost his mother to brutal murder when he was 13, had a history of mental illness and many police arrests.
In his eulogy, the Reverend Al Sharpton, a figure of the civil rights movement and whose association supported the funeral expenses of Jordan Neely, castigated the social policy of the city of New York.
“What is sad, (…) is that Jordan suffocated for almost all of his life”, launched Al Sharpton.
“Jordan was calling for help,” he said, before recalling that people with mental disorders are “criminalised”.
“They need help, not abuse,” he added, to the applause of a large audience, including New York elected official Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a figure on the American left.
Daniel Penny was charged with manslaughter on May 12. He was released on $100,000 bail.
by/rle/cha
2023-05-20 14:41:17
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