NYPD Pursued Terrorism Charges For UES Jordan Neely Protesters

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Police tried to charge two Harlem residents with terrorism after a Jordan Neely demonstration last weekend saw protesters leap onto Upper East Side subway tracks, officials said.

Kiara Williams, 23, and Kimberly Bernard, 33, were arrested Monday and charged with terrorism after Saturday's protest at the Lexington Avenue–63rd Street station, one in a series of demonstrations in the city since Neely died in the chokehold of former marine Daniel Penny, according to officials.

But the terrorism charges — which, for comparison, were also levied against convicted mass subway shooter Frank James — were later dropped, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.

Two others have been arraigned on charges related to the protest.

Devyn Fusaro, 29, and Josephine Perez, 43, who were both charged with felony second-degree assault, obstructing governmental administration and criminal trespass.

Williams, Bernard and Furaso were released, while Perez posted a $20,000 bail, officials said.

All others who have been arrested so far in connection to the protest were issued desk appearance tickets, the DA's office said.

Police Seek Even More Protesters For Arrests

On Wednesday, police announced that they are now seeking five more protesters, bringing the total currently sought possibly up to 11 people.

In addition to six unnamed people whose pictures were released Sunday, police say they are now seeking Florida resident Savohn Thomas, Connecticut resident Christopher Silver, New Jersey resident Kahlil Greene and Manhattan residents Brenna Lipset, and David Ingram — all between 23-and-31-years-old — are wanted for jumping onto the subway tracks at the Lexington Avenue-63rd Street station, and criminal trespassing, the NYPD said.

NYPD officials only said that the five people named yesterday are being sought in connection to a criminal trespass incident.

The subway demonstration mirrored a 1987 subway protest when New Yorkers took to the train tracks in Downtown Brooklyn following the killing of an unarmed 23-year-old Black man named Michael Griffith, who was violently beaten by a group of white men in Howard Beach, Queens.

A photographer who was at the protest 35 years ago told Insider that it felt like history had come "full circle."

Yesterday Mayor Adams slightly reversed course on his prior restraint and spoke directly to Neely's death in a 14-minute live-streamed address.

The Mayor declined to name or refer to Neely's killer — or to even say that the 30-year-old homeless man was killed at all — but instead doubled-down on his plan to lock up more people with mental illness against their will.

By contrast, Penny, whose chokehold was determined to be the cause of Neely's death by the city's medical examiner — officially ruled a homicide a week ago — was briefly detained by police but later released without charges.

No witnesses have yet to describe Neely's behavior prior to his death as violent or directly threatening beyond being disruptive.

Penny held Neely in a blood chokehold for over 15 minutes as bystanders told him the homeless 30-year-old in his grips had surely turned into a corpse.

The DA's office told Patch last week that they were still looking into potential charges.