‘YOU PEOPLE SOUND LIKE MONSTERS’: MSNBC’s Chris Hayes Slams New York Governor’s Statement on Subway Killing

MSNBC anchor Chris Hayes tweeted in horror at a statement by New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) about this week’s subway killing of a homeless man that has been ruled a homicide by the medical examiner.

“WHAT IS GOING ON YOU PEOPLE SOUND LIKE MONSTERS MY GOD,” Hayes tweeted Thursday.

Hochul told NY1’s Spectrum News that mental health played a part in the death of Jordan Neely before calling out someone’s “behavior.” It wasn’t clear if she was referring to the victim, the man who put Neely in the chokehold, or even the mental health system.

“People who are homeless in our subways, many of them in the throes of mental health episodes, and that’s what I believe were some of the factors involved here,” Hochul said. “There’s consequences for behavior.”

Many, including Hayes, believed Hochul was talking about Neely’s behavior, but CBS News reported on the governor’s full statement:

One element we haven’t talked about is the billion dollar investment in mental health services so we don’t have people who are homeless in our subways, many of them in the throws of mental health episodes. And that’s what I believe are some of the factors here. There are consequences for behavior. I will look at it more closely to find out whether the state has a role.

On Thursday, Hochul called the chokehold an “extreme response,” and told reporters that Neely’s “family deserves justice.”

New York’s medical examiner ruled Neely’s killing a homicide on Wednesday evening amid much public outcry. Neely, who was Black, was placed in a chokehold by a 24-year old Marine veteran after “screaming” at passengers, according to The New York Times. The veteran is a White man but has not yet been identified.

“The man who died, Jordan Neely, was homeless and had been screaming at passengers when the other rider wrapped his arms around Mr. Neely’s neck and head and held him for several minutes until he went limp,” The Times reported. “Mr. Neely died from compression to his neck as a result of the chokehold, according to Julie Bolcer, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner.”

New York City’s Mayor Eric Adams (D) publicly scolded Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) for prematurely calling Neely’s death a “murder” before anyone had been arrested for committing a crime.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said it’s pursuing a “rigorous ongoing investigation.” Legal analysts told the Times that the D.A. will consider whether the man was justified in using force before deciding whether to file criminal charges.

Watch the video of Hochul’s full statement above.