'Their Egos are Too Big To Admit That They're Wrong': Daniel Penny Slams Manhattan DA in Post-Acquittal Interview

Daniel Penny, who was found not guilty on Monday for the death of Jordan Neely, blasted the Manhattan district attorney's office in his first interview since the trial, saying "their egos are too big to admit that they're wrong."

"They're all taxpayer funded so you'd think they'd have the interest of the people," Penny told Fox News in an interview released Wednesday. "These are their policies that have clearly not worked that the people, the general population are not in support of, yet their egos are too big to admit that they're wrong, and they can't reverse what they've done because that's a political suicide for them."

On Monday, a New York jury found Penny not guilty of criminally negligent homicide. During deliberations, the jury informed the judge they were deadlocked on the higher charge of second-degree manslaughter. The judge then granted the district attorney’s request to dismiss it. Penny said the dismissal was an attempt by the prosecution to convince the jury to convict him "on something."

"It really showed their arrogance, their lack of understanding of what's really happening, and really what the public perception of crime [is], and, no matter what everyone else says on the news, it's pretty prevalent," Penny said. "It just showed their arrogance that they were gonna get me on something—that's what it felt like."

Penny, a former Marine, also criticized Dafna Yoran, the lead prosecutor, for weaponizing his military service against him.

"I gave up the best years of my life to serve the country," Penny said. "The fact that this public official, a lady that gets paid hundreds of thousands of dollars, would discredit [my military service and awards] was very frustrating, and it’s a shame that there are people like this in our government that are supposed to protect us, that are supposed to protect our rights."

Last year, Penny placed Neely, a homeless Michael Jackson impersonator, in a chokehold on a Manhattan subway car after Neely threatened passengers, shouting that he was hungry, ready to go to jail, and ready to die, according to witness testimony. Penny—who is trained in how to subdue a dangerous person—put Neely in a chokehold for six minutes. Neely was pronounced dead an hour later.

The Marine veteran told Fox News that he would take the same actions again if put in a similar situation because it was the "American thing to do."

"I would not be able to live with myself if I didn't do anything in that situation and someone got hurt. I would feel guilty for the rest of my life," Penny said. "All people, if they're in a position to help, should always help. I think that's the New York thing to do; it's the American thing to do." 

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