Daniel Penny, who last year was acquitted of criminally negligent homicide in the death of Jordan Neely, appears to have no interest in retreating from public life.
The 26-year-old former Marine walked the runway Saturday at New York’s “Dressed to Kilt” fashion event, where he was introduced to the starry crowd as a “hero.”
“The next gentleman, the next model, can actually trace mention of his family back to the 12th century in Scotland,” charity co-founder Geoffrey Scott Carroll said of Penny in his introduction, according to the New York Post. “Having said that, he’s a very proud New Yorker and a very, very proud Marine.”
He went on to note: “Far from being a villain, this man was a hero to all the inhabitants of that subway car.”
Neely was homeless and struggling with schizophrenia in May 2023 when he frightened passengers on a New York subway car, prompting Penny, who is white, to restrain Neely, who is Black.
Penny placed Neely in a six-minute chokehold, and later continued to restrict Neely’s neck for around a minute after he appeared to lose consciousness on the floor of the car. Neely was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Much of the altercation was caught on video by a bystander, and as a result, Neely’s death drew national attention and set off weeks of protests. A number of Republican lawmakers, however, defended Penny’s actions as that of a “good Samaritan.”
A New York jury in December acquitted Penny of criminally negligent homicide in Neely’s death, shortly after a manslaughter charge — which would’ve carried a more significant penalty — was dismissed in deliberations.
Speaking to Fox News days after his trial ended, Penny said he “completely believed” Neely’s threats.
“The guilt I would’ve felt if someone did get hurt, if he did do what he was threatening to do, I would never be able to live with myself,” he said.
In February, Penny was hired by Andreessen Horowitz, a blue-chip venture capital firm in Silicon Valley. He’s also remained a darling of conservatives, and in December was invited by then-Vice President-elect JD Vance to attend an Army-Navy football game as his guest.
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In a Monday statement, Carroll defended his organization’s decision to invite Penny to participate in “Dressed to Kilt.”
“Daniel Penny was invited to walk in the show in recognition of his service as a U.S. Marine and the values he represents,” he said, per the Independent. “His presence aligns with this year’s tribute to the 250th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps, and we were honored to have him represent the branch.”
Billed as the “most prestigious, largest and exciting Scottish fashion show in the world,” Dressed To Kilt was co-founded in 2003 by Carroll and late actor Sean Connery. Previous participants have included actors Alan Cumming, Kiefer Sutherland and Ed Westwick.
