As RedState reported, radical Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged former Marine Daniel Penny with second-degree manslaughter after he placed Jordan Neely, a career criminal with a history of mental illness, in a chokehold after Neely began aggressively threatening passengers on a New York City subway car.

Although leftists like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Rev. Al Sharpton have tried attempted to paint the incident as an act of racial animosity and “white supremacy,” video from the confrontation complicates their narrative. After subduing Neely, Penny released the chokehold and actually placed him in a recovery position, meaning he was trying to aid him medically. Neely could be seen breathing at the time, implying that Penny was not trying to kill him; meanwhile, other passengers were seen thanking Penny for keeping them safe.

On Saturday, Penny broke his silence and told the NY Post that he defends his actions and bears no racial hatred. He spoke with the outlet at Argyle Park in Babylon, New York, which is not far from where he grew up:

This had nothing to do with race.

I judge a person based on their character. I’m not a white supremacist.

I mean, it’s, it’s a little bit comical. Everybody who’s ever met me can tell you, I love all people, I love all cultures. You can tell by my past and all my travels and adventures around the world. I was actually planning a road trip through Africa before this happened.

He is not a vigilante, Penny said. “I’m a normal guy.”

Daniel Penny is an incredibly polarizing figure. According to the narrative, he’s a murderer—but in reality, he’s the hero that many of us wish to be or wish we had in dangerous situations. He stepped up to the moment and he’s being punished for it. pic.twitter.com/YfRG9xBmvy

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) May 20, 2023

Penny spoke of the events leading up to the encounter, explaining that he was coming from school and heading to the gym when Neely grew aggressive and threatening, yelling at other riders and throwing trash. Although Penny was an experienced straphanger, he’d never seen anything like this. “This was different, this time was much different,” Penny said.

Penny was charged with second-degree manslaughter and is free on $100,000 bail. Asked how he felt about Neely’s death, Penny grew “somber”:

“I’m deeply saddened by the loss of life,” he said ” It’s tragic what happened to him. Hopefully, we can change the system that’s so desperately failed us.” [Emphasis mine.]

Would he react differently if faced with a similar situation in the future? Penny said he would just try to do the right thing:

You know, I live an authentic and genuine life. And I would — if there was a threat and danger in the present …

I don’t, I mean, I always do what I think is right.

As a Marine, he traveled around the world and misses those days. He certainly doesn’t sound like a white supremacist as he recounts those memories:

I love to travel. It really changed my perspective of the world for sure. I’m very thankful for being able to travel so much. Just the friendliness and welcoming of everyone and everywhere that I went to.

And even before I deployed, you know, a lot of my friends I served with in my platoon came from all over a lot from Central America and Mexico, that, you know, I’ve opened up my, my eyes to their cultures and their perspectives.

Neely’s funeral was held Friday, and as my colleague Sister Toldjah reported, professional race-baiter Al Sharpton made it all about himself, decrying Neely’s death and claiming that the troubled man was not “annoying anyone,” he “was crying for help.” Even if you take that at face value (although why would you?) if you are physically able to defend yourself and others from violence, you have the right and perhaps the obligation to do so.

When the WSJ openly calls for freeing Daniel Penny, you're finally witnessing a real-time Righteous Radicalization of the Right. This headline doesn't get published 5 years ago.

What caused this? Maybe some of the following:

The Michael Brown "Hands up, don't shoot" lie
Mass… pic.twitter.com/ftAgm6H66I

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) May 18, 2023

The system didn’t just fail Jordan Neely—it failed Daniel Penny. His life is ruined right now, and his name will forever be linked to this unfortunate incident. Although a GiveSendGo campaign to help him defray his legal costs has garnered millions, Penny still has a long fight ahead against a prosecutor who has repeatedly shown to care more about wokeism than actual justice.

Penny’s thoughts and views certainly don’t come across as those of a white-robed, rage-filled supremacist hell-bent on murdering people from different races. Instead, he comes across as a decent guy who was just trying to get to the gym in what was once one of the greatest cities in the world—but has now slipped into chaos.

More on Daniel Penny:

AOC’s Shameless Shot at DeSantis About the Bible Shows What a Hypocrite She Is

Watch: ‘Reverend’ Al Sharpton Outdoes Himself in Disgraceful Display During Jordan Neely Funeral

Ron DeSantis Throws His Support Behind Daniel Penny in the Jordan Neely Incident