NYC mayor calls for support for those struggling with mental illness after Jordan Neely's death

In remarks on Wednesday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams called for more support for people struggling with mental illness after Jordan Neely’s death on May 1. Adams said that Neely, a homeless man who was killed after a fellow subway passenger restrained him with a chokehold, “did not deserve to die.”

Video Transcript

ERIC ADAMS: My fellow New Yorkers, this has been a week of strong emotions in our city. One of our own is dead. A Black man, Black like me. A man named Jordan, the name I gave my son. A New Yorker who struggled with tragedy, trauma, and mental illness. A man whose last words were a cry for help. A man named Jordan Neely.

Jordan's death has devastated his family and shocked his fellow New Yorkers. Today, I'm here to talk about Jordan's life before he got on that train. The circumstances surrounding his death are still being investigated. And while we have no control over that process, one thing we can control is how our city responds to this tragedy. One thing we can say for sure, Jordan Neely did not deserve to die. And all of us must work together to do more for our brothers and sisters struggling with serious mental illness.