Daniel Penny has broken his silence weeks after footage emerged of him placing homeless man Jordan Neely in a chokehold, with the latter ultimately dying moments after.
Penny, 24, was charged with second-degree manslaughter and subsequently released on bail after placing his now-deceased fellow subway rider, 30, in a chokehold.
As previously reported, police say that witnesses recalled how Neely had been shouting at passengers, telling them he was hungry, thirsty, and "ready to die". Neely did not physically attack anyone.
In footage of the chokehold, Penny is seen on the floor with his arms around Neely's neck for a number of minutes while two other passengers help pin the man down. Neely's death was ruled a homicide two days late by the medical examiner’s office, who said that the cause of death was compression of his neck.
Penny told The New York Post in an interview over the weekend that the incident was not motivated by racism. He said: "This had nothing to do with race. I judge a person based on their character.
"I’m not a white supremacist. 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."
"I’m deeply saddened by the loss of life," he said. "It’s tragic what happened to him. Hopefully, we can change the system that’s so desperately failed us."
Asked if he would take action again if he were in a situation like the one that occurred on May 1, Penny nodded.
"You know, I live an authentic and genuine life," Penny said. "And I would — if there was a threat and danger in the present …"
As for whether he feels he's done anything to be ashamed of, he said: "I don’t, I mean, I always do what I think is right."
Penny also spoke of his ability to remain "stoic" despite the serious charge against him.
He said: "If you’re faced with all these challenges, you have to remain calm. What’s the point of worrying about something, worrying is not going to make your problems disappear. I attribute this to my father and grandfather. They are very very stoic."
Penny, who has three sisters, said his friends and family have stuck by him since the incident, with the former marine saying his family is "hanging in there."
"My mom is OK," he said. "My sisters understand. They all support me."
Penny has many supporters outside his family - in fact, said supporters have collectively raised a staggering $2.7 million to cover his legal costs amid his trouble with the law.
