Daniel Penny is speaking his piece after he held Jordan Neely in a chokehold for 15 minutes on a New York City subway train earlier this month claiming the man’s life and subsequently setting off a national outcry for justice and accountability.
Penny, 24, spoke exclusively to The New York Post about Neely’s death, his response, and how his involvement in it was not racially motivated, a claim that was debated online when the video went viral, and news first broke of the killing.
“This had nothing to do with race,” Penny told The Post. “I judge a person based on their character. I’m not a white supremacist.”
Penny was caught on camera on May 1 placing 30-year-old Jordan Neely, a former street and subway performer who was homeless, in a deadly chokehold on a subway train. Neely died later at the hospital. The medical examiner ruled Neely’s death a homicide.
“I mean, it’s, it’s a little bit comical. Everybody who’s ever met me can tell you, I love all people, I love all cultures. You can tell by my past and all my travels and adventures around the world. I was actually planning a road trip through Africa before this happened,” Penny said.
Penny’s lawyers stated that Neely “began aggressively threatening” Penny and other passengers, which prompted him to take physical action against Neely.
However, witness reports vary. Some witnesses reported that Neely seemed disturbed when he boarded the train, yelling about not having anything to eat or drink, but he did not pose a physical threat. Others report he was acting erratically and aggressively to the point where they feared he might assault someone.
“I can tell you that the threats, the menacing, the terror that Jordan Neely introduced to that train has already been well documented,” Penny stated. “I don’t think it’s going to even be controverted. There are numerous witnesses from all different walks of life who have absolutely no motive to do…
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