NEW YORK CITY – Jurors have begun deliberations in the manslaughter trial of Daniel Penny, the 26-year-old Marines veteran accused of recklessly strangling Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man who was climbing into a subway car stormed into Manhattan screaming “death” and making threats.

Penny arrived at the Manhattan courthouse Tuesday morning for the final day of prosecutors’ closing arguments as protesters chanted “Guilty!” through a megaphone.

Penny, flanked by his defense attorneys, repaired his suit jacket and looked straight ahead, oblivious to the protesters or reporters outside the courthouse, video shows.

Inside, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Dafna Yoran ended her closing arguments just before noon, and the judge read the jury instructions after a break.

TRAIN HERO ALEK SKARLATOS IN DANIEL PENNY TRIAL: “THIS COULD HAPPEN TO YOU”

Daniel Penny arrives at the Manhattan Supreme Court on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 in New York, NY. Closing arguments in his trial for second-degree manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter in connection with the 2023 death of Jordan Neely in New York City are expected to end today. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)

If convicted of manslaughter, Penny faces a maximum of 15 years in prison. He is also accused of negligent homicide.

As Yoran slowed, she turned to the protesters outside.

“The defense would have you believe that New York’s chief medical examiner was engaging in fraud because of the few protesters outside,” she said. “I can go on and on about how absurd and offensive this all is.”

The defense objected, telling the judge that they never claimed there was a mass conspiracy.

DANIEL PENNY PROSECUTOR HOLDS THE RACE CARD AGAIN TO A DEFENSE OBJECTION DESPITE NO CHARGE OF HATE CRIME

Prosecutor Dafna Yoran leaves the trial of Daniel Penny at the Manhattan Supreme Criminal Court building in New York City on Monday, December 2, 2024. (Julia Bonavita/Fox News Digital)

At the time of the incident in May 2023, Neely had a high use of K2, a drug that witnesses described as a form of synthetic marijuana with a cocaine-like effect. He had severe paranoid schizophrenia, a long criminal history and an active arrest warrant.

He got on the train, threw his jacket on the floor and began making death threats, warning that he was not afraid of dying, going back to prison or spending life in prison.

Penny grabbed him from behind in a headlock, wrestled him to the ground and held him in place with the help of another passenger. He remained at the scene and voluntarily spoke to police. They let him go. Eleven days later, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office announced an indictment and Penny turned herself in.

DANIEL PENNY RETURNS TO COURT TO COMPLETE PLEAS IN SUBWAY STRANGLEHOLD TRIAL

Jordan Neely is pictured before seeing the Michael Jackson film “This is It” outside the Regal Cinemas at 8th Avenue and 42nd Street in Times Square in New York in 2009. (Andrew Savulich/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

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The city medical examiner’s office ruled his death a homicide by asphyxiation and blamed the chokehold. A defense expert, forensic pathologist Dr. Satish Chundru, of Texas, responded that the cause of death was a combination of Neely’s drug use, a genetic disorder called sickle cell anemia, the physical exertion of fighting Penny and his severe mental illness.

Despite the crowd of angry protesters outside, Penny’s defense fund has risen to over $3.2 million, and donations continued to come in as of Tuesday morning.