BREAKING: Medical examiner rules repeat violent offender Jordan Neely’s death a ‘homicide’ as NYC braces for riots

The city saw protests and anger from residents on Tuesday after the news of Neely's death was made public. Straphangers converged on the MTA stop at Broadway Lafayette Streets in downtown Manhattan to protest the killing.

Protesters gathered inside the subway station on the platform, though that spilled out into the street.

People shouted Neely's name on the streets near the subway stop where Neely was pronounced dead.

Neely was homeless man who was killed by a fellow subway passenger in New York on Monday. The man, Jordan Neely, 30, was reportedly behaving in a "hostile and erratic" manner, and had a warrant out for his arrest on the charge of felony assault. He had been arrested more than 44 times for public lewdness, and assaulting a senior citizen.

"Instead of protesting the man who inadvertently killed Jordan Neely while restraining him, New Yorkers should be asking why a madman with 44 prior arrests was walking the streets in the first place? New York's catch and release policies created a powder keg," Charlie Kirk said.

New York's Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez stoked the fires of public outrage by saying "Jordan Neely was murdered. But bc Jordan was houseless and crying for food in a time when the city is raising rents and stripping services to militarize itself while many in power demonize the poor, the murderer gets protected w/ passive headlines + no charges. It’s disgusting."

The subway system is plagued with homelessness, and it is a frequent occurence for New Yorkers to get on the subway and find homeless people spouting off insane things, confronting passengers, or using the subway as a toilet or bedroom.

"This attitude is exactly why Jordan Neely was on a train threatening people after 44 arrests instead of locked up and alive," Inez Stepman said.

The homeless man, Jordan Neely, was put into a chokehold by a veteran Marine, who was trying to prevent Neely from continuing his agression against other passengers. Neely, 30, was restrained for 15 minutes and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The incident occured on the north bound F train, and Neely was restrained after he began screaming about the dereliction of his circumstances. He complained of lacking food, drink, and being tired, saying he didn't care if he went to jail.

When the F pulled into Broadway Lafayette, in the heart of Manhattan's west village, an emergency medical team was there to meet him. He expired despite their life saving efforts.

NYC Comptroller Brad Lander took to Twitter to decry the efforts of the veteran Marine to protect his fellow passengers, sayigng that "NYC is not Gotham. We must not become a city where a mentally ill human being can be choked to death by a vigilante without consequence."

This sparked a response by former NYC police commissioner Bernie Kerik, who said that New Yorkers had a right to defend themselves and their fellow straphangers, especially given the lack of a police presence in the subway system.

"You would, rather New Yorker, be terrified, assaulted and murdered at the hands of lunatics and thugs! If you were doing your job, there would be more plice on th subway system, so these things would not happen. But do not tell people they can't defend themselves!"

The Marine, whose name has not been released, was taken into custody then released, pending an autopsy. It is likely that he will now be facing arrest on homicide charges.