Brooklyn subway stabbing: Charges dropped against Jordan Williams
BROOKLYN - Manslaughter charges have been dropped against 20-year-old Jordan Williams, the man who had been charged with fatally stabbing a 36-year-old fellow passenger earlier this month on a J train.
A Brooklyn grand jury declined to indict Williams, determining he had acted in self-defense after the man, DeVictor Ouedraogo, punched him and his girlfriend.
Williams testified before the grand jury for around 45 minutes.
The Brooklyn District Attorney's office released a statement, saying its investigation "included review of multiple videos and interviews with all available witnesses, and that evidence was fairly presented to a grand jury."
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"All I wanted to do was get me and my girlfriend off the train safely," Williams said last week in an exclusive interview with Good Day New York.
Daniel Penny pleads not guilty
The dismissal of the charges against Williams came hours after Daniel Penny faced a judge in Lower Manhattan.
The 24-year-old former marine veteran was formally arraigned in connection with the chokehold death of Jordan Neely last month on an F train.
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Penny pleaded not guilty to charges of criminally negligent homicide and second degree manslaughter after being indicted by a grand jury.
Daniel Penny pleads not guilty in NYC subway chokehold death of Jordan Neely
Daniel Penny pleaded not guilty to second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide death of Jordan Neely after holding him in a chokehold on the floor of a moving subway car.
Penny's lawyer maintained their client acted to protect himself and others after Neely began threatening and harassing passengers.
"Daniel Penny entered a plea of not guilty with great confidence that a jury of his peers will ultimately agree by rendering a verdict of not guilty on all counts after trial."
A look at the two cases
Many are comparing the two cases, as both men claim self-defense.
Williams testified before the grand jury, while Penny did not.
Williams was attacked, while Penny responded to verbal threats and erratic behavior.
"In the Brooklyn case, the deceased strikes the first blow and continues to strike blows, and then the defendant acts," said Arthur Aidala, a criminal defense lawyer. "In the Manhattan case with Penny, Penny is acting on threats and not actual force or actual contact."
Aidala also said the chokehold video is powerful.
The charges will be formally dropped in court in a day or two.