The 20-year-old college student and football star was parked and sitting behind the wheel of his vehicle in the parking lot of a bar at the Thornwood Shopping Center in New York, when a disturbance spilled out on to the streets. Henry, whose vehicle was parked in a fire zone, suddenly drove off when police approached his car and tapped on the glass.
Officers argued that the young man, who was not intoxicated according to his parents because they had the contents of his stomach analyzed, sped off when they approached the car, but Henry's family contends that he drove away at a parking lot speed believing that he was being instructed to move his vehicle.
In either case, Henry's car struck Mount Pleasant police officer Aaron Hess, who ricocheted onto the hood of the vehicle. Hess, who claims he feared for his life, fired shots into the car, killing Henry.
Henry's parents, Danroy Henry Sr. and wife Angela, were hopeful that Hess would receive a murder charge. Now that the grand jury has made its decision, though, Henry's parents plan to pursue the case:
"We will not stop until Mr. Hess is held accountable for the killing of our beloved D.J.," Henry Sr. said.
Henry Sr. also alleges that evidence was "withheld or mishandled" during the grand jury proceedings. He repeated his call for a federal investigation and said, "There are no words to express our disappointment."
Another officer, Ronald Beckley, of the Mount Pleasant force also shot at the car but apparently only hit the hood.
Fortunately, the U.S. Department of Justice said it would monitor the case by reviewing the evidence to determine whether there were any civil rights crimes, New York U.S. Attorney's office spokeswoman Ellen Davis said Monday night.
Following the melee that occurred after the shooting, which was widely seen from amateur video, four of Henry's classmates were arrested on various charges including obstruction. Those charges are still pending.
The Henrys are also planning a $120 million lawsuit against Pleasantville and Mount Pleasant. Henry Sr. said Monday that the grand jury's finding was "not designed to tell the truth but rather to minimize the civil and criminal liability of agencies involved."
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I read a few of the articles related to this incident. From what I understand, it was all a HUGE misunderstanding. Henry and his friends were parked in the fire lane in front of a restaurant where an altercation had broken out. (Henry and his passengers were not a part of the altercation.)Someone called the police.
When the police arrived, they knocked on Henry's window, and they claim they told him to get out of the car. All of the individuals in the car thought that they were asking Henry to move his car since it was in a no parking zone.
When he pulled off, the cops proceeded to treat him as a runaway criminal, but the whole time the kids in the car were confused because they just thought they were supposed to move the car.... .
The cop jumped in front of Henry's MOVING vehicle (???) which is where he was HIT by the car and this is also when he was firing at Henry and the other passengers.
SO LITERALLY, in the officers minds, the guys in the car were the reason for the altercation for which they were called, and in Henry's mind, he was parked in a fire lane and the cops just wanted him to move his car!
Henry was pronounced dead at the hospital. Henry's friend (who was shot by the officer) as well as the injured officer were treated at the same hospital for their injuries.
They need to get these racist cops off the streets....these low-class-non accomplished cops..get into these authority position to Kill black people and not get punish for it... they know this....most of them have only finish High school .....they would NEVER go into the JEWISH, Italian or Russian community and shoot up their people especially their boys...they know they would never make it back home alive and then their whole family would be wiped out the same day w/o any question or court....so they continue to come into the Black community and take their racial hatred towards Blacks..especially they are jealous of Black men...They fear that the Black men are going get with their wives and daughters, or their wives are going to leave them for a Black man..or their trashy daughter is going to get with a Black man..... ..they are jealous of the Black man "Manliness"...and as soon as the Sun comes out...the very same racist people go lay in the sun and get brown with cancer....they need to replace the Police commissioner with someone who is not racist...they need to stop "Shoot now and no question asked policy" towards the Black community....They need to give these police a psychological test.before they are released into the community......they should also give them a test of race tolerance....and they should also give a lie detective test to see if they have extreme HATRED toward Blacks and other racial group from their own.....and lastly, Black young-men should stop looking like "Thugs" and wearing their pants off their azz like they want to be arrested...they make themselves a target.....two wrongs don't make a right.....
CeCe I agree with you on that , there was a misunderstanding indeed. I must say it's such a tragic thing to have happen to this young man and all that was involved. May God Bless us all!!!!
the magic words are used again, " I FEARED FOR MY LIFE " NO PROBLEM.............. GOD BLESS THIS FAMILY TO COMFORT THEIR GRIEF WITH WISDOM OF KNOWLEDGE.
JUSTICE: just how white america want-to see it. just who was kill ? just who was the killer! just not right. just not right......just our homeland...just the oath of god and country....just words of the true in-justors...
Just another innoncent cop .Just as all of them that beat kill our children . They are never GUILTY .Just like the lying NUN ,Susan Smith & tha ACID lady . They never do any wrong .
WOW, did anyone expect anything different. Do you really think the KKK would rule against itself? Our legal system is set up the same. Our legal system and courts are going down the same road as the Catholic Church, and losing credibility is not where they want it to go. Justice will fall back onto the fathers to right injustices.
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By: CeCe on 2/15/2011 3:25PM
I read a few of the articles related to this incident. From what I understand, it was all a HUGE misunderstanding. Henry and his friends were parked in the fire lane in front of a restaurant where an altercation had broken out. (Henry and his passengers were not a part of the altercation.)Someone called the police.
When the police arrived, they knocked on Henry's window, and they claim they told him to get out of the car. All of the individuals in the car thought that they were asking Henry to move his car since it was in a no parking zone.
When he pulled off, the cops proceeded to treat him as a runaway criminal, but the whole time the kids in the car were confused because they just thought they were supposed to move the car.... .
The cop jumped in front of Henry's MOVING vehicle (???) which is where he was HIT by the car and this is also when he was firing at Henry and the other passengers.
SO LITERALLY, in the officers minds, the guys in the car were the reason for the altercation for which they were called, and in Henry's mind, he was parked in a fire lane and the cops just wanted him to move his car!
Henry was pronounced dead at the hospital. Henry's friend (who was shot by the officer) as well as the injured officer were treated at the same hospital for their injuries.
WHAT A MESS!
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By: shellfish789 on 2/16/2011 7:46AM
They need to get these racist cops off the streets....these low-class-non accomplished cops..get into these authority position to Kill black people and not get punish for it... they know this....most of them have only finish High school .....they would NEVER go into the JEWISH, Italian or Russian community and shoot up their people especially their boys...they know they would never make it back home alive and then their whole family would be wiped out the same day w/o any question or court....so they continue to come into the Black community and take their racial hatred towards Blacks..especially they are jealous of Black men...They fear that the Black men are going get with their wives and daughters, or their wives are going to leave them for a Black man..or their trashy daughter is going to get with a Black man..... ..they are jealous of the Black man "Manliness"...and as soon as the Sun comes out...the very same racist people go lay in the sun and get brown with cancer....they need to replace the Police commissioner with someone who is not racist...they need to stop "Shoot now and no question asked policy" towards the Black community....They need to give these police a psychological test.before they are released into the community......they should also give them a test of race tolerance....and they should also give a lie detective test to see if they have extreme HATRED toward Blacks and other racial group from their own.....and lastly, Black young-men should stop looking like "Thugs" and wearing their pants off their azz like they want to be arrested...they make themselves a target.....two wrongs don't make a right.....
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By: SHANNLINWO on 2/16/2011 8:57AM
CeCe I agree with you on that , there was a misunderstanding indeed. I must say it's such a tragic thing to have happen to this young man and all that was involved. May God Bless us all!!!!
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By: make no mistake on 2/16/2011 11:16AM
the magic words are used again, " I FEARED FOR MY LIFE " NO PROBLEM.............. GOD BLESS THIS FAMILY TO COMFORT THEIR GRIEF WITH WISDOM OF KNOWLEDGE.
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By: Tia on 2/16/2011 11:16AM
Dirty a** pigs! They don't deserve to walk earth!
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By: billy c on 2/16/2011 5:28PM
JUSTICE: just how white america want-to see it. just who was kill ? just who was the killer! just not right. just not right......just our homeland...just the oath of god and country....just words of the true in-justors...
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By: stare k on 2/16/2011 5:48PM
Just another innoncent cop .Just as all of them that beat kill our children . They are never GUILTY .Just like the lying NUN ,Susan Smith & tha ACID lady . They never do any wrong .
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By: NAT TURNER on 2/16/2011 5:53PM
WHEN ONE OF THOSE CROOKED ASS WHITE COPS
GET "KNOCKED OFF", this is why MY HEART
SAYS "GOOD"...
IF I ONLY HAD A THOUSAND DOLLAR BILL FOR EVERY
UNARMED BLACK MALE THE COPS HAVE MURDERED, THEY
CRY THEY WERE SCARED, AND THEY GET AWAY WITH
MURDER, I'D BE VERY WEALTHY...THOSE VESTS THE
STREET COPS WEAR UNDER THEIR SHIRTS, DON'T STOP
AK-47, AR-15, OR OTHER RIFLE FIRE
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By: john1 on 2/16/2011 7:17PM
WOW, did anyone expect anything different. Do you really think the KKK would rule against itself? Our legal system is set up the same. Our legal system and courts are going down the same road as the Catholic Church, and losing credibility is not where they want it to go. Justice will fall back onto the fathers to right injustices.
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By: DOMINUS219 on 2/16/2011 8:16PM
What crime was this black male committing, besides none?
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