Venture Washington business firm Andreessen Horowitz late made the interesting decision to hire Daniel Penny , the former U.S. Marine who is mostly know for havingchoked an unhoused manwho was roleplay erratically on the New York City tube in 2023 . Now , the company is trying to explain to investors why Penny seemed like a good hire , give the fact that his most noteworthy achievement is having put a manin a fatal stranglehold .
The VCrecently announcedthat they had recruited Penny to their American Dynamism investment company , which invest in national defence reaction , public refuge , and aerospace companies . “ He will learn the business of investment and he will work to support our portfolio companies , ” said David Ulevitch , an a16z worldwide collaborator , in a note sent to employee earlier this week . “ I believe , as I eff many of you do , that Daniel acted with courage in a tough office , ” he wrote . “ He was behave of all charges . Beyond that , it has always been our policy to evaluate the entire person and not judge them for the uncollectible moment in their entire life . ”
On Thursday , the New York Timesreported ona memorandum that a16z had pass around to its investor , which attempted to explain why they thought Penny was a necessary hire . centime ’s “ military veteran experience can be helpful in keep to build these relationships , and many of our public safety and defense father and partners have shared a like persuasion , ” the memorandum reportedly said . Again , the memo was author by Ulevitch . The memoranda further states that a16z is a huge investor in public safety product and companies and that , “ as effect , we spend a wad of sentence with active - duty military , vet , chiefs of police , sheriffs ; these relationships are critical to the success of our company . ” The import appear to be that a16z thinks pig like Penny for what he did , and thus , engage Penny will make cops like the firm .
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Gizmodo get through out to Andreessen Horowitz for remark .
The clash between Penny and 30 - year - old Jordan Neely took space in May of 2023 when Neely boarded an F train in Manhattan and began screaming at the car ’s other passenger . Penny ’s answer was to draw near the humans , put him in a throttlehold , and then keep him in said chokeholdfor a full stop of six arcminute , not long after which the man died . The New York City aesculapian inspector ’s officelater declaredNeely ’s demise was the result of “ densification of the neck . ”
“ I had him pretty good , ” Penny could be heard to say in footage from a cop ’s body television camera . “ I was in the Marines . ”
Penny was eventually arrested for his role in Neely ’s death and prosecuting officer later charged him with reprehensively negligent homicide and 2nd - degree manslaughter . During the trial , Penny ’s refutation bring in a forensic diagnostician who claim that Neely had n’t died from being choked but from a “ combination of his schizophrenia , synthetic marijuana , sickle cell trait and the struggle from being in Penny ’s restraint , ” NBCpreviously reported . The NYC aesculapian examiner who conducted the original post-mortem examination subsequently dismissed these claims , alleging in court of justice “ that there are no alternative reasonable explanations ” for Neely ’s last and that the defense ’s suggestions were “ so marvelous — that it stand shoulder to shoulder with impossibility . ” A juryacquitted Pennyof the charge of negligent homicide in December .
Andreessen Horowitz
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