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The highly-anticipated manslaughter trial of Daniel Penny commenced this morning in a Manhattan courthouse. Penny is facing charges for the death of Jordan Neely, a homeless man who Penny placed in a chokehold during a disruptive incident on a subway train.

Outside the courthouse, protesters vocalized their disapproval of Penny's actions, describing them as "illegal." Meanwhile, the defense team argued that Penny's measures were justified under the law due to explicit threats made by Neely during the incident.

Inside the courtroom, prosecution opened the trial by acknowledging that Neely had frightened many passengers on the train. "Jordan Neely took his last breaths on the dirty floor of an uptown F train," began Assistant District Attorney Dafna Yoran, as she detailed the circumstances surrounding Neely's death. Neely, who was 30 years old, homeless, and suffering from mental illness, succumbed while being restrained by Penny, with video evidence showing other passengers assisting in the effort.

The prosecution pointed out that Penny held Neely in a chokehold for a prolonged duration of 5 minutes and 53 seconds, labeling his actions as "unnecessarily reckless." They emphasized that although Penny may not have intended to kill Neely, the use of such deadly physical force was only permissible when absolutely necessary.

On the contrary, the defense painted Penny as a protector who reacted to imminent threats from Neely. "This is a case about a young man who did for others what we would want someone to do for us," stated defense co-counsel Thomas Kenniff. The defense elucidated that Neely was making violent threats, resulting in fear and panic among the passengers. Penny acted to subdue Neely in response to his aggressive behavior.

Further characterizing Penny, his defense described him as a middle-class New Yorker who served in the Marine Corps to fund his education. At the time of the incident, Penny was studying architecture and working as a swimming instructor and barback.

Witnesses recounted Neely's erratic actions on the subway, including loud rants and threats that terrorized passengers. As the confrontation escalated, Penny reportedly intervened to protect others. "When Jordan Neely threatened to kill, there was only one thing Danny Penny could do," argued the defense.

Neely, who lacked any weapon, had a muffin in his pocket when the police arrived at the scene. Despite attempts to revive him using Narcan, Neely did not survive. The trial, which follows over a week of jury selection, is poised to delve deep into the complexities surrounding this fatal encounter on a New York City subway.