(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Daniel Penny, the hero retired Marine and the individual charged in the subway chokehold death of Jordan Neely, a mentally ill homeless man who threatened bystanders, has finally broken his silence in an interview with the New York Post.
The incident, which occurred on May 1, sparked the outrage of leftist BLM activists who rushed to call Penny a “murderer.” Before being put in a chokehold, Neely was screaming at passengers, demanding food and saying he was not afraid of dying or going to jail for life. The unhinged homeless man was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
“This had nothing to do with race,” the 24-year-old ex-Marine told the Post. “I judge a person based on their character. I’m not a white supremacist,” Penny added, responding to leftist attacks accusing him of being a racist.
Shortly after the incident, leftist activists, including self-proclaimed socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, pressed the embattled Soros-backed Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg to file charges against Penny.
“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,” Penny continued. “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.”
In response to allegations that he was a subway vigilante, Penny responded, “I’m a normal guy.”
Penny told the Post he was heading to the gym after attending school before the encounter occurred.
“There’s a pool there. I like to swim. I was living in the East Village. I take the subway multiple times a day. I think the New York transit system is the best in the world and I’ve been all over the world,” he continued.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the Bragg-backed charges continue to generate intense scrutiny from concerned New Yorkers and conservatives who championed the former marine for defending the individuals in the subway train.
A witness in the subway told the Post that she thanked Penny after he confronted Neely. “I hope he has a great lawyer, and I’m praying for him,” an unidentified woman said after the incident.
“And I pray that he gets treated fairly, I really do. Because after all of this ensued, I went back and made sure that I said ‘Thank you’ to him,” she continued.
