The story of Jordan Neely and former Marine Daniel Penny is a heartbreaking tragedy that has been distorted and manipulated by media outlets to fit their own narrative.
The truth is, Daniel Penny acted out of concern for the safety of all passengers on the train, not out of any malicious motive. The incident had nothing to do with race—Penny was simply trying to protect those around him from potential harm.
Unfortunately, mainstream media outlets have distorted the facts to paint Daniel Penny in a negative light and further their own agenda. This distortion of the truth has fueled protests that have turned violent, with police arresting 11 people at a protest on May 9th.
The story began on April 23rd when Jordan Neely allegedly acted erratically on a New York Subway train. A 66-year-old witness, who was on the train, said Neely reportedly threatened to “kill a motherf*cker” despite going to jail for the rest of his life. This is when Daniel Penny intervened and held Neely in a chokehold to protect his fellow passengers.
The witness said she thanked Penny and said she was “praying” for him after the incident, but Neely’s family accused Penny of acting in “indifference” and called on him to be imprisoned in a May 8th statement released by their attorneys.
Penny was charged with second-degree manslaughter on May 7th, and his legal fund surpassed $2 million in donations as of Monday, just three days after being charged.
Despite the media’s false narratives, Penny’s attorney, Steven Raiser, was clear in saying that the incident had nothing to do with race. He stated, “As to race, it’s simply not the motivation for Danny. He is the one that put himself in danger to save who? All the people on that train. Black people, brown people, white people, it didn’t matter to Danny. Danny put his life at risk to save all those people, it has nothing to do with race.”
It’s a shame that the media is trying to use this tragedy to further their own political agendas and create racial divisions. Daniel Penny was simply trying to protect his fellow passengers from harm and should not be vilified for his actions.