Daniel Penny has given his first interview to the New York Post after he put homeless man Jordan Neely in a chokehold, who later died, after the latter was acting violently and threatening passengers on a New York subway.

Here are the important quotes from Penny from the interview:

• "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."

About Jordan Neely's threatening actions:

• "[This incident was unlike] anything I'd experienced before. This was different, this time was much different," Penny said. He paused and said again, "This time was very different."

From Penny's lawyer:

• "I can tell you that the threats, the menacing, the terror that Jordan Neely introduced to that train has already been well documented. I don't think it's going to even be controverted. There are numerous witnesses from all different walks of life who have absolutely no motive to do anything other than to recount what actually happened. They are uniform in their recollection of events."

When Penny was asked about what he'd like to say to Jordan Neely's family:

• "I'm deeply saddened by the loss of life. It's tragic what happened to him. Hopefully, we can change the system that's so desperately failed us."

Daniel Penny's GiveSendGo is now up to $2.7 million.