Man Who Killed Jordan Neely Speaks Out, Says Death 'Had Nothing To Do With Race'

24-year-old Daniel Penny, who's been charged in the death of Jordan Neely, is speaking out for the first time since the fatal chokehold on a New York train ... claiming what he did to Neely had nothing to do with the color of his skin.

Penny told New York Post Saturday that he's in no way a white supremacist and that he's just a normal guy that judges people "based on their character" ... this coming after waves of people claim his use of a chokehold on Neely was racially motivated.

He says the slander he's been getting is "comical," adding "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.”

Penny says he was coming back to Manhattan from school when the incident occurred, and  believes the footage showing what led up to the 30-year-old's death will prove Neely was the one bringing "terror" to the train -- noting, "I don’t think it’s going to even be controversial."