Ousted Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) argued in a letter addressed simply to “White Individuals” on Tuesday that “white supremacy” is the rationale Daniel Penny was acquitted within the subway chokehold demise of Jordan Neely.
Within the weird rant, posted on X, the departing “Squad” lawmaker additional prompt that he doesn’t perceive why he feels the necessity to “preserve speaking” to white individuals.
“Pricey White Individuals,” Bowman’s manifesto begins.
“I don’t know why I really feel the necessity to preserve speaking to you. I don’t know why a part of me nonetheless has hope for you and for us. A few of you’re too far gone. However possibly sufficient of you aren’t and can be part of us in combating to finish white supremacy,” the congressman writes.
Bowman, 48, goes on to highlight a number of high-profile instances of police violence towards black women and men, in addition to the 2012 killing of Trayvon Martin by Florida neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman — who was additionally acquitted of wrongdoing.
“White supremacy just isn’t pores and skin colour. It’s a frame of mind,” the Bronx and Westchester rep argues after referencing the demise of Tyre Nichols, who was crushed by 5 black Memphis Police Division officers.
“Jordan Neely is the newest,” Bowman provides. “He was sick. He was not a menace. He was subdued. Nonetheless not a menace. Daniel Penny choked him for six minutes. And killed him. All of us watched it on digicam, and he was nonetheless acquitted.”
A neighborhood be aware appended to the tweet thread famous: “As a part of a plea settlement, after punching a 67-year-old lady in 2021, Jordan Neely was given free entry to steady housing and healthcare at a remedy facility. Neely deserted the ability after 13 days.”
X customers additionally added: “Penny’s actions had been in response to Neely threatening passengers.”
New York’s sixteenth District pol then asserts that white social media customers have “by no means” seen “a white man killed in chilly blood on digicam in your newsfeed.”
“What number of occasions have you ever even heard about this? The reply is rarely. You by no means have,” Bowman declares.
“And everytime you really feel discomfort out of your whiteness, Black individuals are harmed or killed,” he prices. “And there may be by no means accountability or justice. That is the evil of white supremacy. It spans throughout geography and political events and sickens us all.”
“RIP Jordan Neely. The justice system failed you. Kyle Ritenhouse [sic] and Daniel Penny are free. You’re gone. We should nonetheless combat,” Bowman’s missive ends.
Penny, a 26-year-old Marine veteran, was acquitted of criminally negligent murder by a Manhattan jury on Monday.
Prosecutors argued that Penny was “criminally reckless” when he held Neely, who witnesses mentioned was scaring passengers, in an roughly six-minute-long chokehold.
Protection attorneys raised doubts about whether or not Neely died from the chokehold, citing his schizophrenia, drug use and a genetic well being situation.
Bowman was defeated by Westchester County Government George Latimer in New York’s sixteenth District Democratic main earlier this 12 months.
The previous Bronx center faculty principal confronted criticism for opposing Israel’s battle towards Hamas and for infamously yanking a hearth alarm in a Capitol workplace constructing in September 2023.
Bowman pleaded responsible to a misdemeanor cost, agreed to a $1,000 fantastic and was later censured by the Home over the fireplace alarm pull.
He claimed on the time that he “thought the alarm would open the door” and pulled it by “accident,” saying he “was simply making an attempt to get to my vote” for a essential authorities funding package deal.
Latimer went on to simply beat Republican Miriam Flisser within the basic election and can exchange Bowman within the Home of Representatives subsequent month.
