Brooklyn subway stabbing attorney says Daniel Penny comparison 'doesn't fit neatly'
NEW YORK - The man accused of stabbing another subway passenger to death in Brooklyn is free this morning. A judge decided Jordan Williams, 20, was not a flight risk and allowed him to go home without bail.
Williams stabbed DeVictor Ouedraogo, 36, inside a moving subway car after Ouedraogo was allegedly harassing people, the NYPD said.
Williams was charged with manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon. His lawyer, Jason Goldman, said Williams acted in self-defense.
When asked why Williams was carrying a knife to begin with, Goldman said, "it's clear a lot of people don't feel safe right now."
Golman describes Williams as being "soft-spoken," "funny," and "gentle," and believed the judge saw that in him as well.
"If we didn't win that argument, my client would be on Rikers Island this morning," Goldman said.
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He said that Williams was relieved.
"He's a great kid he comes from an incredible community."
At his arraignment on Thursday, Goldman drew parallels between the incident and the one involving Daniel Penny, telling reporters that Williams was being treated differently than Penny since he was arrested immediately after the incident.
When asked if he saw any similarities, Goldman replied, "there [are] obvious similarities."
Goldman explained that both incidents took place on the subway, and added that both cases involved "deranged individuals," but that there were different facts about the case that would eventually come out.
According to the NYPD, Ouedraogo was harassing multiple passengers on the train, including a woman Williams was with before he stepped in to intervene. Williams and Ouedraogo tussled on the train before Williams allegedly pulled out a knife.
He and the female passenger stayed on the train and were taken into custody several stops later at the Chauncey Street Station.
The Brooklyn District Attorney's Office had asked for a $100,000 bail, the exact same bail that Daniel Penny has, but in this case, the judge said no to bail and released Williams.
Police had combed the subway car and the platform for evidence. (LLN NYC)
"They released Daniel Penny, and they allowed him that three weeks to raise money," Goldman said.
Daniel Penny raised more than $1.5 million two days after he was charged.
"They had his bail agreed upon [and] they had a check ready…" Goldman added.
When asked what his hopes for the case were, Goldman said "I told him he can be an example for cases to come in the future."
Daniel Penny indicted by grand jury in Jordan Neely chokehold death
While the charges will remain sealed until his arraignment, Penny was arrested on one count of second-degree manslaughter for Neely's death.
As for the outcome of the case, Goldman said "it needs to be dismissed at some point."
Goldman insisted that he respected the need for an investigation but said that the outcome shouldn't be too far out in the future.
It's worth noting that there is a legal fund set up for Jordan Williams on the same platform as Daniel Penny.
Williams has raised nearly $60,000 as of Friday morning.