Daniel Penny, the former US Marine who held the Black street performer Jordan Neely in a fatal chokehold on a New York Subway on May 1, says he is not a White supremacist.
The 24-year-old opened up about the incident for the first time after he was charged by the New York authorities with second-degree manslaughter charges. He was released on bail.
Talking to the New York Post, Neely said, “This had nothing to do with race.”
“I judge a person based on their character. I’m not a white supremacist,” the former marine said.
“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.”
Jordan Neely was a 30-year-old street artist with a documented history of mental health issues.
Penny’s attorney Thomas Kenniff earlier told the media that fellow commuters on the subway will support their client in court and testify that Jordan Neely posed a serious threat to them.
“I can tell you that the threats, the menacing, the terror that Jordan Neely introduced to that train has already been well documented. 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.”
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