Daniel Penny has made his first public comments after being acquitted on charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in the May 2023 death of Jordan Neely on a New York City subway.
Speaking with Fox News, Penny said he had put himself in a “very vulnerable position,” during the encounter, but felt compelled to act.
Penny, 26, a four-year Marine veteran, said that while he’s “not a confrontational person,” Neely was “threatening to kill people.”
The case took a significant turn when New York Supreme Court Judge Maxwell Wiley dismissed a second-degree manslaughter charge against Penny after a jury deliberation that lasted four days without reaching a unanimous verdict. Subsequently, a Manhattan jury acquitted Penny of criminally negligent homicide.
Throughout the trial, Penny’s defense argued that their client did not intend to kill Neely but was acting in self-defense. They portrayed Neely as a former street performer whose aggressive outburst on the train frightened other passengers. Witnesses testified that Neely had been loudly declaring his hunger and indifference to returning to prison.
JUST IN: Daniel Penny says he has zero regrets, says he couldn’t live with the guilt if someone was hurt on the subway by Jordan Neely.
Penny is an even better person than I thought.
The Marine said he would do a million court appearances if it meant saving someone on the… pic.twitter.com/swNcYWXGpN
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 10, 2024
The medical examiner’s conclusion that Neely died from “compression of neck” was a key point in the trial, with Penny’s defense challenging this finding. It was also noted that Neely had synthetic marijuana in his system at the time of the incident and had a history of assaultive behavior in subway stations.
The aftermath of the trial saw Penny reflecting on the severe criticism he has faced, expressing no desire for praise, merely justifying his actions as necessary to prevent potential harm to other passengers. He criticized city officials for their policies, which he implied contributed to the circumstances leading to the fatal encounter, though he refrained from naming anyone specifically. “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,” Penny told Fox.
He also told the network that he and his lawyers are considering suing Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg for malicious prosecution.
🚨 NEW: Daniel Penny and his lawyers have announced they are considering SUING corrupt Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg for malicious prosecution
Bragg was also caught colluding with the medical examiner during the trial
SUE HIM INTO THE STONE AGE, DANIEL! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Z7tqUmgCGm
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) December 11, 2024
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg responded to the acquittal by affirming that the prosecution had diligently “followed the facts and the evidence from beginning to end.”
This case has left New Yorkers and people nationwide deeply divided, bringing to the forefront issues concerning homelessness, mental health, and the responsibilities of individuals and authorities in maintaining public safety. The national debate continues as communities grapple with these complex challenges.
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