“White man accused of killing black homeless man raises over $1.1 million in donations for legal defense”

White Daniel P. is said to have strangled a black homeless man on a New York subway. Millions in donations are now supporting the suspect.

Following the violent death of Jordan Neely, a homeless New York street performer, an online fundraiser for the alleged perpetrator has already raised more than $1.1 million. The fundraiser organized by his legal team is intended to help cover the costs of the upcoming trial and possible civil lawsuits, the website said. By Saturday afternoon (local time), almost 25,000 individual donations were listed there.

The 24-year-old white Daniel P. is accused of holding the 30-year-old black Neely in a stranglehold on a subway train in early May until he passed out and later died in a hospital. On Friday, Daniel P. was charged with manslaughter. He was reportedly released on bail.

According to witnesses, before the incident on the train, Neely had loudly complained about being hungry and thirsty, but apparently did not physically attack anyone. The legal team of Daniel P. – a former member of the Navy – said according to the TV channel CNN that their client risked his life to protect other people.

The crowdfunding website with the advertising slogan “The #1 Free Christian Fundraising Site” is a platform more frequently used by right-wing conservatives in the USA. Previously, there were fundraisers for court cases relating to the Capitol storm and for the defense of Kyle R. The then 17-year-old shot two people in August 2020 during “Black Lives Matter” protests in the US state of Wisconsin. His trial ended in an acquittal – the jury granted him self-defense.

The death of Neely, known to some on Broadway as a Michael Jackson impersonator, has sparked renewed debate about systemic racism in the United States. Observers draw parallels to the violent death of African American George Floyd, who was killed by a white police officer in 2020.