Jordan Neely: Subway chokehold victim laid to rest in New York

Jordan Neely, a New York City man who died after being placed in a chokehold by a fellow subway passenger, is being laid to rest in Harlem.

Mr Neely, who was 30 and homeless, was declared dead after being pinned to the ground and restrained in the 1 May incident.

Daniel Penny, a 24-year-old former US Marine, has been charged with manslaughter over Mr Neely's death.

The incident prompted a nationwide debate on vigilantism and crime.

It also fuelled concerns about safety on New York's Subway system and raised questions about the support given to homeless people in the city.

At the funeral, Mr Neely rested in a white casket, decorated with gold. A large arrangement of red and white flowers adorned his coffin.

According to witnesses, Mr Neely - a Michael Jackson impersonator who frequented Times Square - had been shouting at passengers and asking for money before he was restrained by Mr Penny.

There is no evidence that Mr Neely physically attacked anyone during the incident.

Mr Neely had 42 previous arrests on charges such as evading fares, theft and assaults on three women, according to US media.

Bystander video taken during the fatal encounter shows Mr Penny had his arm around Mr Neely's neck for nearly three minutes.

On Friday, a small crowd of mourners gathered at Mount Neboh Baptist Church in Harlem to remember Mr Neely, who had reportedly began suffering from mental health issues following the murder of his mother by her boyfriend in 2007.

"There's a weeping space in my heart," Carolyn Ruff, a 75-year-old Chicago-based advocate for the homeless told the BBC. "He was calling out for help".

Reverend and civil rights leader Al Sharpton delivered the eulogy,

"We should not not celebrate Jordan's life," Mr Sharpton said. "But we should not ignore how he died."

In his remarks, which were met with applause and standing ovations from the crowd of mourners, Mr Sharpton said that society has "criminalised" people suffering from mental illness.

"They don't need abuse," he said. "They need help".

Mr Sharpton also took aim at Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and others who have characterised Mr Penny as a "good Samaritan" and defended his actions.

"A Good Samaritan helps those in trouble," he added. "They don't choke them out."

The service is being presided over by Reverend Dr Johnnie Green, the pastor who delivered the eulogy for Mr Neely's mother after her murder in 2007.

"We came here to celebrate how he lived, not how he died," Dr Green said.

A number of officials and lawmakers were in attendance at the service, including New York Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado and congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Outside the church before the service, a hearse was waiting to take Mr Neely to his final resting place. Just across the street from the church, protesters had unfurled a sign reading "Jordan Neely... enough is enough."

Lawyers for Mr Penny have said that he "never intended" to harm Mr Neely and "could not have foreseen his untimely death".

They added that Mr Penny and fellow passengers "acted to protect themselves, until help arrived".

The incident deeply divided people in New York and across the US, with some criticising Mr Penny's actions and calling for justice for Mr Neely and others defending the former Marine as trying to protect himself and others.

With additional reporting by Bernd Debusmann