Daniel Penny.Photo:John Lamparski/Getty
John Lamparski/Getty
One day afterhe was acquittedon charges related to his role inJordan Neely’s 2023 death,Daniel Pennysays he has no regrets.
Penny, a White man, faced charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide stemming from the May 2023 incident on a New York City subway train, in which he came up behind Neely, a Black man experiencing homelessness, and placed him in a chokehold for several minutes after Neely allegedly threatened other passengers and complained of hunger.
Neely’s death, which was captured on viral video, sparked nationaloutrageand led to widespread protests in New York City. The incident also sparked national debates on racism, vigilante justice and the treatment of the homeless and mentally ill.
On Monday, Penny was acquitted of his criminally negligent homicide charge when a jury found him not guilty. Prosecutors had previously moved to drop the manslaughter charges against him after the jury deadlocked.
In anew interviewset to air later this week on FOX Nation with Jeanine Pirro, Penny defends his actions.
“I’m not a confrontational person,” Penny claims in the clip.
Daniel Penny.ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty
ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty
“I said, ‘I’m going grab his hands so you can let go,’” Gonzalez testified, according to theNew York Times. “If I held his arms down, he could let go of his neck.”
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Gonzalez said Neely eventually went limp, adding that he let go before Penny eventually did too.
Neely was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.In a statement to PEOPLE, Neely’s family said Penny “needs to be in prison” and alleged Penny “believed he was entitled to take Jordan’s life” behind a veil of vigilantism.
Jordan Neely.Andrew Savulich/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty
In the preview of his upcoming Fox News interview, Penny at one point holds back a smile while alluding to criticism he’s faced and the “enemies” he has made because of his role in Neely’s death.
But in another clip from the Fox News sit-down, Penny claims the negative attention he’s received was worth it to him.
“The guilt I would’ve felt if someone did get hurt – if he did do what he was threatening to do – I would never be able to live with myself,” he says. “I’ll take a million court appearances and people calling me names and people hating me just to keep one of those people from getting hurt or killed.”
Although Penny was acquitted this week, he could still be held financially liable for his role in Neely’s death. Neely’s father, Andre Zachery, filed a civil suit against Penny, accusing him of causing his son’s death through “negligence, carelessness, and recklessness.”
source: people.com
