NEW YORK (PIX11) — About a dozen people were arrested after a peaceful vigil honoring Jordan Neely turned bloody in Lower Manhattan Monday night, police said.
Authorities found a Molotov cocktail after officers clashed with protesters who were using a microphone without a permit near the Broadway and Lafayette subway station near Houston Street where Neely died, according to the NYPD.
The scene was chaotic as one man was seen with a bloody face. Of the 150 protesters, about a dozen people were arrested for noise or blocking traffic violations, police said.
“It (the Molotov cocktail) could hurt members of the department, other protesters, and innocent people passing by. Once we removed the people who were violating the law, we had a peaceful protest,” NYPD Chief Jeff Madrey said Monday night.
Neely, a 30-year-old subway performer, was killed last week after being placed in a chokehold during a mental health episode, officials said. Daniel Penny, 24, a former Marine, put Neely in a chokehold during the encounter.
The incident was caught on video and has sparked several protests in the city over the past week. The family has called for criminal charges against Penny, who said he was acting in self-defense.
Maddrey called Neely’s death “senseless.”
Neely’s funeral will be held in Harlem next week.
