A medical examiner has ruled the death of Jordan Neely, 30, a homicide. Neely was reportedly experiencing a mental health crisis and shouting at other passengers, said witnesses. The passenger who placed Neely in the chokehold for several minutes has not been charged.
Hannity aired cell phone footage of Neely in the chokehold and said: “After making violent threats, acting erratically, a mentally ill homeless guy with a long history of violent crime was, well, subdued by a bystander, a 24-year-old Marine vet.”
“Woo!” someone in the audience shouted. It’s not known if the audience member knew at that exact moment that Neely had died, given how Hannity’s description had not yet mentioned the death.
“The homeless man, his name is Jordan Neely,” Hannity added. “He lost consciousness during the incident. He later, sadly, tragically, he’s a homeless guy, he’s got mental problems. My heart goes out to him and his family. Now, of course, it’s a tragedy on every level.”
At the top of the show, Hannity said he had a “rowdy crowd” in the studio and joked they’d been “drinking heavily.”