Daniel Penny, the Marine veteran who put homeless man Jordan Neely in a fatal chokehold earlier in May, has broken his silence about the incident.
In an interview with the New York Post published Saturday, Penny said that he was “deeply saddened” by Neely’s death.
“It’s tragic what happened to him,” Penny said. “Hopefully, we can change the system that’s so desperately failed us.”
Penny, who was criminally charged over the incident, refuted any claims that he was racist for restraining Neely, a Black man. The Marine veteran flatly said that the incident “had nothing to do with race.”
NYC MARINE VETERAN CHARGED IN DEATH OF MAN ‘MAKING THREATS AND SCARING PASSENGERS’: PROSECUTORS
Daniel Penny leaves the 5th Precinct of the NYPD on Friday, May 12, 2023. Penny is charged in connection with the death of subway rider, Jordan Neely. (Julia Bonavita/Fox News Digital)
“I judge a person based on their character. I’m not a white