Statement by Public Advocate de Blasio on Investigation in the Death of Pvt. Danny Chen

“The brutal hazing of Private Danny Chen demands the harshest punishment. The refusal to press the charge of manslaughter against Specialist Ryan Offutt is more than an injustice to Private Chen’s memory and to the Chinese American community—it is an affront to all Americans. We can no more tolerate hate in our military than we can in our streets here at home. Anything less than the full prosecution of this crime—including manslaughter charges—fails to send the necessary message to perpetrators of intolerance.”