NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- A Queens man is off the hook for a fatal stabbing on a Brooklyn subway train this month, which he said was self-defense in a case his lawyer compared to the deadly chokehold of Jordan Neely on a subway train in May.
A Brooklyn grand jury declined to indict Jordan Williams, 20, in the killing of Devictor Ouedraogo, a 36-year-old man who'd reportedly been harassing passengers, including Williams' girlfriend, and acting erratically on a J train in Williamsburg on the night of June 13 when he was stabbed by Williams.
Responding NYPD officers found Ouedraogo stabbed in the chest at the Marcy Avenue station. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.
After Williams was charged his attorney, Jason Goldman, called it a "case of clear self-defense."
The grand jury appeared to agree, and on Wednesday the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office dismissed the charges against Williams, which included counts of manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon.
"Our office conducted an impartial and thorough investigation of this tragic case, which included review of multiple videos and interviews with all available witnesses, and that evidence was fairly presented to a grand jury," the D.A.'s office said in a statement.
"Under New York law," the statement continued, "a person is justified in using deadly physical force when they reasonably believe it is necessary to use such force to defend themselves or others from imminent use of deadly or unlawful physical force."
Williams' attorney released a statement after the charges were dropped: "This was a tragic encounter that we can only hope does not become the norm. It’s never a joyous occasion when a life is lost but Jordan and his loved ones are grateful and relieved that the grand jury saw this for what it was."
The case—involving a deadly encounter in the subway and claims of self-defense—has drawn comparisons to the high-profile case of Daniel Penny, the Marine veteran who was just arraigned Wednesday in Manhattan Criminal Court on charges of second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in the May 1 death of Neely, a former subway busker who prosecutors said was "making threats and scaring passengers" on an F train in SoHo when Penny placed him in a minutes-long chokehold. Neely's family pointed out that subway riders said the 30-year-old, who struggled with homelessness and mental illness, hadn't physically attacked anyone.
Penny, 24, pleaded not guilty to the charges and remains free on bond.
Related
Related
Related
