From Daniel Penny to Iryna Zarutska: Two lives, two outcomes

We live in a time when acts of public violence play out in front of us — on trains, in subways, in parks — and often on camera. These moments force people to make split-second decisions about whether to intervene, freeze, or flee. But what happens after those decisions can be just as defining. And in two very different cases — Daniel Penny’s and Iryna Zarutska’s — we see the risks, the consequences, and the haunting question: what do we expect from each other in public?

When I read about the tragic killing of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee in Charlotte, North Carolina, I immediately thought of Daniel Penny — and the storm of controversy that followed his decision to intervene on a New York City subway in 2023.

Iryna had fled to the United States to escape a war zone, and find peace. On August 27, she boarded a light rail train, unaware that a man already on board had a violent criminal history and documented mental illness. Within moments, he stabbed her in full view of security cameras.

There was no warning. No time to react. No one stepped in.

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The Daniel Penny Parallel

In Daniel Penny’s case, things unfolded differently — but not without consequences. He was riding a New York City subway when Jordan Neely began behaving erratically. According to witnesses, Neely’s behavior made passengers feel unsafe. Penny stepped in and restrained him in what became a fatal chokehold.

Penny didn’t use a weapon. He didn’t lash out in aggression. He acted instinctively — to protect others in a confined, tense public space.

The footage of the encounter went viral, and public opinion split sharply. Some saw him as a vigilante; others, as someone trying to help. The legal system stepped in, but the conversation never really settled.

And for that, he was charged with second-degree manslaughter and put under the national spotlight.

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When You Act, You Risk Everything. If You Don’t, Someone Else Will Pay the Price.

The contrast between these two events is haunting. In one, someone acted and paid a legal and social price. In the other, no one had the chance to act — and someone died.

That’s not to say the outcomes are directly comparable — each situation is unique. But both reflect a disturbing pattern: ordinary people forced into impossible decisions about whether to intervene and facing harsh consequences regardless of their choice.

We live in a time when the public is often told not to get envolved, to wait for authorities, to avoid escalation. Yet real violence unfolds in seconds — too fast for anyone to call for help, let alone receive it.

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Not a Hero. Not a Villain. Just a Risk.

This isn’t a call to glorify violence or overlook its consequences. Jordan Neely’s death was tragic, and no one should die because of a failed attempt at intervention. But neither should we ignore the psychological and moral weight placed on those who do choose to step in.

Daniel Penny acted and was prosecuted. In Iryna Zarutska’s case, no one had the chance to act — or perhaps no one felt safe enough to try.

That’s the real tension: we say we value courage but often punish it when the outcome isn’t clean. And when courage is absent, we mourn what might have been.

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We Need a Better Conversation

Public intervention is a legal, ethical, and social gray zone. We need to talk about how we respond to threats — not just after the fact, but as a society that decides what we expect from each other in shared spaces.

Because right now, it feels like we’re telling people: If you act and it goes wrong, you’ll become a headline — and face punishment. If you don’t act and someone dies, there will be headlines too — followed by silence.

And after that, the guilt stays with you.

We can’t keep reacting case by case, driven by headlines and hindsight. What we need is a cultural shift — one where public safety and personal accountability aren’t always in conflict. We need to ask: what does real responsibility look like, and who are we protecting when we criminalize those who try to help?

This article was assisted by AI to improve clarity and structure.