Outrage as California Man Who Strangled Attacker on Bus Receives Probation in Case Resembling Jordan Neely Killing

Outrage as California Man Who Strangled Attacker on Bus Receives Probation in Case Resembling Jordan Neely Killing

A California man has been sentenced for his role in the death of a man he put in a chokehold during a dispute on a bus. Edward Hilbert, aged 56, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to two years’ probation. He also received a suspended one-year jail sentence, which would be activated if he violated the terms of his probation. The incident occurred on April 30, 2022, in downtown San Diego when Anthony McGaff, 28, became involved in an altercation with a female passenger. Hilbert intervened and restrained McGaff, who lost consciousness shortly after and was pronounced dead at the hospital. During the sentencing, McGaff’s parents criticized Hilbert, claiming that he ambushed their son and held him in a chokehold for eight minutes. The parents had previously filed a lawsuit against the city of San Diego and the Metropolitan Transit System. This incident is reminiscent of the death of Jordan Neely, a subway performer in New York City, who was placed in a chokehold for over three minutes by a US Marine veteran. The Marine veteran has been charged with criminally negligent homicide and second-degree manslaughter, but his attorneys have requested that the case be dismissed.