Daniel Penney who was acquitted by a jury last week for choking to death a homeless, mentally ill Black man on a New York subway, was President-elect Donald Trump’s guest of honor Saturday at the Army-Navy game in Landover, Maryland.

Penney, 24, a former Marine, killed Jordan Neely, 30, who died from compression of the neck, the city’s medical examiner determined. Penny was found not guilty of criminally negligent homicide.

Penney was on trial for a serious crime, but on Saturday he mingled with the President-elect and other top officials of the incoming administration.

Several organizations, including Black Lives Matter, NAACP, and Amnesty International USA, have called for accountability in Neely’s killing. But this is not what they meant.

The shocking set of events occurred on May 1, 2023.

Neely, 30, was on the F train in Manhattan when he started shouting that he was hungry and wanted to go to jail instead of living on the streets. Though he was not armed, he screamed and frightened some passengers because most riders fear Black men and perceived him to be out of control.

Video of the altercation posted online by a freelance journalist showed Penney lying beneath Neely holding him in a headlock position for several minutes as Neely tried and failed to break free. A second passenger pinned Neely’s arms while a third person held down his shoulder.

Vice President-elect JD Vance invited Penney incoming to the game. Vance confirmed the invitation on social media. 

Vance called Penney “a good guy.’” 

He also accused Alvin Bragg, Manhattan’s District Attorney, of wrongfully prosecuting Penney “for having a backbone.”

“I’m grateful he accepted my invitation and hope he’s able to have fun and appreciate how much his fellow citizens admire his courage,” said Vance, who also served in the Marine Corps.