Daniel Penny, charged with manslaughter in the death of Jordan Neely, denounced suggestions his case was about race, saying it is about New York City failures to protect its people.
"This had nothing to do with race," Penny told the New York Post in an exclusive interview Saturday. "I judge a person based on their character. I'm not a white supremacist.
"I mean, 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.
"I'm a normal guy."
Penny, out on $100,000 bond, spoke out for the first time since he was charged with manslaughter in the death of Neely, a reportedly mentally ill homeless Black man who has notoriously taunted subway riders. Penny, a Marine veteran, told the Post he stepped into protect himself and subway riders by putting a relentless Neely in a chokehold. Neely would later die at the hospital.
"I'm deeply saddened by the loss of life," Penny told the Post. "It's tragic what happened to him. Hopefully, we can change the system that's so desperately failed us."
Penny nodded when the Post asked if he would step in again to protect the innocent bystanders again.
"You know, I live an authentic and genuine life," he said. "And I would — if there was a threat and danger in the present."
And Penny said he has nothing to be ashamed of.
"I don't, I mean, I always do what I think is right," Penny told the Post.
Penny declined to get into details of his pending case, but the Post reported Neely was yelling at others on the subway and throwing trash unlike "anything I'd experienced before," Penny said.
"This was different, this time was much different," he continued between careful pauses.
"This time was very different."
Passengers are going to back up Penny's account, attorney Thomas Kenniff told the Post.
"I can tell you that the threats, the menacing, the terror that Jordan Neely introduced to that train has already been well documented," he said. "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 anything other than to recount what actually happened. They are uniform in their recollection of events."
Related Stories:
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.