Tale of 2 subway killers
B’klyn vigilante: Convict Penny
There is no solidarity among subway vigilantes.
Jordan Williams, a former FedEx worker who made national headlines after killing a man who attacked his girlfriend in a brawl on a Brooklyn J train, said he feels no empathy for fellow subway killer Daniel Penny, a former Marine, and hopes he’s convicted.
“He’s a former Marine or whatever, that’s cool, you served the country. But just because you serve the country, that doesn’t mean you get to come back into the country and attack random people in the country for no reason,” Williams, 21, told The Post by phone this week from his home in Hollis, Queens.
Williams faced manslaughter charges after killing Devictor Ouedraogo on June 13, 2023, but unlike with Penny, the charges were later dropped — with video of the brawl showing the unhinged Ouedraogo
proving to be decisive.
A month earlier, Penny made national headlines after killing homeless man Jordan Neely on a Manhattan F train. Dramatic video of the encounter showed Penny holding Neely, who’d been menacing passengers, in a chokehold. He faces manslaughter charges in a trial set to begin in October.
Neely had a long history of mental illness and had been arrested dozens of times before.
Williams said the two cases are completely different.
‘Didn’t touch anybody’
“Jordan Neely . . . he didn’t touch anybody. You know what I mean? He didn’t do anything, as far as reported,” Williams said. “[Penny] attacked a man for no reason. But you got people sitting over there, wanting him to get released.”
Williams said “racism and discrimination” had impacted his case — and noted that a GoFundMe set up for Penny raised millions of dollars, while a fundraiser launched on his behalf had raised only about $120,000.
Nearly a year after Williams left the public eye, his brush with the law still follows him. While he’s living happily with his girlfriend and has welcomed a new son, also named Jordan, Williams has struggled to find work.
A $15,000 settlement from FedEx is long gone and Williams, who now avoids riding the subway, said he’s been surviving off donations.
“I want to get a job and I want to provide for my family . . . . I’m not being picky, especially when I haven’t had a job in almost a year now,” he said. “I’m willing to do any hours, go anywhere, anytime.”