Daniel Penny, the Navy veteran who’s charged with manslaughter after he was seen on video strangling a black man, stated the encounter with Jordan Neely was not motivated by race and that he’s not a white supremacist. .
Penny spoke to the New York Put up on Saturday in regards to the Could 1 incident, which was partially captured on cellphone video on a northbound F practice and confirmed Penny on the bottom holding Neely, 30, with a strangulation
“This has nothing to do with race,” Penny, 24, stated whereas chatting with the newspaper at Argyle Park in Babylon on Lengthy Island.
“I decide an individual based mostly on their character. I’m not a white supremacist,” he added.
Penny continued: “I imply, it is sort of humorous. Everybody who has identified me can inform you that I like all individuals, I like all cultures. It exhibits from my previous and all my travels and adventures all over the world. In actual fact, I used to be planning a street journey throughout Africa earlier than this occurred.”
Donte Mills, an lawyer representing Neely’s household, stated in a press release in response to Penny’s feedback: “That is an announcement to melt public opinion of Daniel Penny, who strangled Jordan Neely to dying. We by no means name him a white supremacist, we name him a assassin.”
“We do not care what number of holidays you’ve got had. We need to know why she did not launch the chokehold till Jordan was lifeless,” the lawyer added.
Mills additionally famous that there have been witnesses who pleaded with Penny to let Neely go.
Neely’s dying sparked a nationwide debate, with individuals denouncing vigilantism and a few politicians demanding that officers do extra to deal with homelessness, psychological well being and violence on the subways. Neely suffered from psychological sickness on account of the homicide of her mom, Mills stated.
Penny was arraigned Could 12 on a second-degree manslaughter cost that Neely’s household steered was too lenient.
Bail was set at $100,000. Penny put up $6,000 and her dad and mom assured full bail. He was launched pending trial.
As he left, Penny was surrounded by his protection staff and detectives, and a number of other individuals got here as much as shake his hand.
Proper-wing political figures and teams have in contrast Penny to Samaritan who rescued the general public from hazard, and Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley known as on New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to pardon him and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican. from Georgia. tweeting that Penny “is a hero”.
He added that Neely “was a violent felony who ought to have been behind bars,” though he by no means had bodily contact with anybody on the practice earlier than he was strangled.
Neely was unconscious when officers arrived and pronounced him lifeless on the hospital, police stated. The town medical expert’s workplace stated he died of “neck compression (strangulation)” and that the style was a murder.
Juan Alberto Vázquez, a witness who filmed the mobile phone footage, instructed NBC New York that Neely obtained on the practice and “began making this type of aggressive speech, saying he was hungry, he was thirsty, he did not care, he did not care about going to jail, he did not care about that he will get a giant life sentence ”. Neely was homeless and described to him as a subway busker. who acted as Michael Jackson.
Neely was strangled for about quarter-hour, Vazquez stated. Video exhibits two different subway passengers showing to assist restrain him.