NEW YORK (PIX11) — The family of Jordan Neely has asked Rev. Al Sharpton to deliver the eulogy at Neely’s funeral next week.
Sharpton is the famous, outspoken civil rights advocate and Baptist minister from Brooklyn who founded The National Action Network (NAN) and previously ran for president.
“This is an unfathomable and unimaginable tragedy,” Rev. Dr. Johnnie Green, the senior pastor at Mount Neboh Baptist Church, said in an interview with PIX11. “This is not my usual terrain, and as we come together in the spirit of healing, action, and perseverance. I can think of no one better, no one more equipped to meet this moment with that grace and guidance than Rev. Sharpton.”
Neely was a 30-year-old homeless man who died after being placed in a chokehold on the subway by another subway rider, Daniel Penny, an ex-Marine, according to city officials. The medical examiner’s office ruled last week his death was a homicide.
Both Green and Sharpton have ties to the Neely family. Green previously delivered the eulogy of Neely’s mother, Christie, who was killed and found in a suitcase in the Bronx back in 2007. Sharpton has ties with Neely’s aunt, the matriarch of the family, Green said.
Neely’s funeral will be held at Mount Neboh Baptist Church on May 19. Additional details were expected to be announced soon. The church has asked for privacy on behalf of the family.
