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Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman sparked controversy with racially charged comments following Daniel Penny’s acquittal in the Jordan Neely case. Penny was found not guilty after five days of jury deliberation, having faced charges of criminally negligent homicide.
The case stemmed from a May 2023 incident where Penny, using military-trained techniques, applied a chokehold on Neely during a subway confrontation. Neely, who had displayed erratic behavior and threatened passengers, later died. Records showed Neely had 42 prior arrests and an active warrant for assault.
Dear Any color people, Jamaal is a racist grifter…Penny is a hero that did the right thing. https://t.co/MW1OejZ7Z1
— Mr. Mike (@MBOKSR_) December 10, 2024
Bowman took to social media with a message specifically addressing white Americans. “Dear White People, I don’t know why I feel the need to keep talking to you,” Bowman wrote. “I don’t know why part of me still has hope for you and for us. Some of you are too far gone. But maybe enough of you aren’t and will join us in fighting to end white supremacy.”
He continued his statement: “I just wanna call out the hypocrisy and evil of it all and just continue to hope. I won’t rely completely on you because I know what’s most important is to work with my community and other like-minded allies in the fight for justice. But I guess I’ll just offer this.”
Bowman, who previously made headlines for pulling a fire alarm in the Cannon Building, referenced historical cases of police violence before addressing the Neely case. “Jordan Neely is the latest. He was sick. He was not a threat. He was subdued. Still not a threat. Daniel Penny choked him for 6 minutes. And killed him. We all watched it on camera, and he was still acquitted,” he stated.
BREAKING 🚨🚨
Before Jamaal Bowman leaves, I wanted to show him one last time what a Fire Alarm looks like
GOOD FVCKING BYE L0SER 🖕 pic.twitter.com/MVcfP8J2Hn
— MAGA Voice (@MAGAVoice) June 26, 2024
The congressman challenged white Americans about their experiences with racial violence: “I’ve left out probably another hundred instances of this trauma in my life. For comparison, I ask white people, how many times have you seen a white man killed in cold blood on camera on your newsfeed? How many times have you even heard about this?”
He concluded with: “The answer is never. You never have. And whenever you feel discomfort from your whiteness, Black people are harmed or killed. And there is never accountability or justice. This is the evil of white supremacy. It spans across geography and political parties and sickens us all. I wish I didn’t have to live with all of this trauma deep in my bones. I wish I could just be free to be me. I marvel at the beauty and greatness of my people in spite of white supremacy. It’s extraordinary. That is what I will continue to lean on.”
His comments drew significant criticism on social media, particularly regarding his previous fire alarm incident.
