(ConservativeSense.com) – Daniel Penny, the Marine veteran charged with killing Jordan Neely on a subway in New York City in May, claims he was acting to protect fellow passengers threatened by Neely.
The incident, which took place on an F train in Manhattan on May 1, was caught on video and made headlines across the nation. A picture of Penny’s arm around Neely’s neck, with two other men helping to restrain Neely, circulated everywhere and resulted in protests from activists calling Neely’s death a hate crime.
According to multiple witnesses, the 30-year-old Neely was shouting threats at passengers and even said he was prepared to be arrested or to take a bullet. Once the homeless man became belligerent, 24-year-old veteran Penny stepped in to restrain him and was assisted by two other men. Neely was put into a chokehold and then passed out, after which he didn’t wake up and was later pronounced dead.
Penny, although not arrested at first, was charged the following week and then turned himself in, after which he was released on bail. He made a statement about the incident afterward that it had nothing to do with race.
According to Penny, he acted in self-defense and in defense of other passengers. The Marine veteran said he was listening to music when Neely became aggressive. When Penny took his earbuds out to hear what Neely was yelling, he heard the distraught man repeatedly threatening to kill, that he was ready “to go to jail for life,” and that he was “willing to die.”
One witness, a black woman, came forward to Fox News Digital and said Penny was a hero for what he did. She said it was self-defense and that she believes in her heart he saved a lot of people who “could’ve gotten hurt.” In his most recent statements, Penny mentioned the witness and said he didn’t think he was a hero.
Penny also said the misconception that he held Neely for 15 minutes is untrue, and that the encounter only lasted about five minutes.
Copyright 2023, ConservativeSense.com
