Death of man who was placed in chokehold on subway ruled a homicide

The death of a man who was captured on video being placed in a stranglehold on a New York City subway train Monday afternoon has been ruled a homicide, officials said.

The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner confirmed to CBS News on Wednesday that the cause of death for the victim, identified by officials Jordan Neely, was determined to be “compression of neck” or a “chokehold.”

Video obtained by CBS New York showed the Neely being placed in a chokehold by another man for several minutes.

“This is a solemn and serious matter that ended in the tragic loss of Jordan Neely’s life. As part of our rigorous ongoing investigation, we will review the Medical Examiner’s report, assess all available video and photo footage, identify and interview as many witnesses as possible, and obtain additional medical records,” the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said in a statement. 

The New York City Police Department said Neely was 30 years old and the man who allegedly placed him in the chokehold is 24. Sources told CBS New York that the 24-year-old is believed to be a Marine. He supposedly restrained Neely because he had been acting erratically on a train in a station in the SoHo area of Manhattan, the sources told CBS New York.

The NYPD told CBS News that when officers arrived, Neely was unresponsive and was brought to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The younger man was questioned and released by police, the NYPD said. Police have not said if charges will be filed in the case. 

This is a developing story and will be updated.