Accused murderer Daniel Penny heckled as he appeared in court for the hearing: “You're a disgrace!”

Daniel Penny, who is accused of killing homeless Subway actor Jordan Neely in an incident caught on video in May 2023, arrived at Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday for a preliminary hearing — and was immediately harassed.

“You are a disgrace to the Marine Corps,” the unidentified heckler said to Penny, the discharged veteran who was flanked by an army of court officers as he was brought into the courthouse to face a judge.

Penny is accused of taking Neely's life in an incident aboard an F train in Lower Manhattan in May 2023. Neely's death sparked mass protests in May after his death was caught on camera and the footage quickly went viral on social media. Penny's defense team claims that Neely – who was known for dressing up as Michael Jackson and busking on public transport – threatened straphangers, prompting Penny to intervene.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg later brought up Penny through grand jury indictments on second-degree manslaughter and negligent charges. While Penny maintains he did not intend to kill Neely, he will be forced to prove this in a high-profile trial set to begin on October 23 this year.

Thursday's hearing to determine what evidence will be presented at Penny's trial lasted most of the day. Several police officers were interviewed and court body camera footage was shown of the officers' arrival and the aftermath, including the interrogation at the police station.

“I threw him out,” was recorded in one of the videos on display, which also showed Neely lying unconscious on the train floor. In another video, the former Marine told investigators that Neely would intimidate drivers by yelling and throwing objects. Penny approached him from behind and held him in a chokehold that law enforcement told in video interrogation lasted at least one stop.

“He was squirming,” Penny said in the video. “He tried to curl up. I had it pretty good.”

Penny's defense team, led by attorneys Steven Raiser and Thomas Kenniff, argued that the Long Island native acted in self-defense. They also argued that Neely's alleged mental health issues and reported drug use should be taken into account, which prosecutors said was irrelevant to the case.

The viral video of a white man choking a black man reverberated in the public consciousness, sparking a series of violent protests that saw mass arrests and even, at one point, demonstrators standing on train tracks and blocking trains from moving forward.