Former Marine Misused A Combat Technique In Fatal Chokehold Of Nyc Subway Rider, Trainer Testifies

When Daniel Penny wrapped his arm around the neck of a homeless man on a Manhattan subway last year, the 25-year-old veteran appeared to be deploying a non-lethal chokehold long drilled into U.S. Marines.

Done right, the maneuver should knock a person out without killing them, according to Joseph Caballer, a combat instructor in the Marine Corps who trained Penny in several types of holds. But held too long, the technique can restrict the flow of blood to a person's brain, ending their life in a matter of minutes.

"Once the person is rendered unconscious, that's when you're supposed to let go," Caballer told a jury on Thursday.

His testimony came weeks into the trial of Penny, who faces charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide after placing Jordan Neely, a homeless man and Michael Jackson impersonator, in the fatal chokehold last May.

Prosecutors allege that Penny "went way too far" in his attempt to restrain Neely, showing an "indifference" toward his life even after he had lost consciousness and stopped fighting back.