Two Years Later, Family of DJ Henry Pledges to Push Forward

DJ Henry's mother reflects on the two year anniversary of her son's death

  For Easton resident Angella Henry, things have not gotten easier in the two years since her son's death. The mother of DJ Henry relives it each and every day. "Some days have been worse as some information has been revealed about Oct. 17, 2010 and we find out how cruel-fully he was treated it actually hurts even more," she said. "I don’t think time makes things any easier." Henry will spend her day Wednesday mourning the loss of her son, who was shot and killed by police officer Aaron Hess on Oct. 17, 2010 while driving away from a bar in Pleasantville, N.Y. The two years since that night have included vigils, legal battles, widespread media attention, and differing accounts from a slew of witnesses. Pleasantville Police Officer Aaron …

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Mount Pleasant Police Officer Says Hess Was 'Aggressor' in DJ Henry Case

Ronald Beckley, who also fired his weapon the night DJ Henry was shot and killed by Police Officer Aaron Hess, said in a deposition last week that he was aiming at Hess and described him to be the 'aggressor.' Beckley also said he shot Hess in the knee.

  Mount Pleasant Police Officer Ronald Beckley, the second officer to fire his weapon the night of Easton native DJ Henry's death, said during his deposition in federal court last week that he fired his gun to stop Pleasantville police officer Aaron Hess, who he felt was the "aggressor." "I was shooting at a person that I thought was the aggressor and was inflicting deadly physical force on another," Beckley told Michael Sussman, who deposed him as part of a civil suit filed by the Henry family against Hess and the Village of Pleasantville, NY. Hess, a Pleasantville Police Officer, shot and killed Henry on Oct. 17, 2010 outside a bar in Pleasantville as Henry was driving in his vehicle. He was not indicted by a Westchester County Grand …

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DJ Henry's Father: Contradicting Accounts of Son's Death Reveal Lack of Justification

The release of Aaron Hess' deposition Thursday shows disparities in witness accounts, DJ Henry's father Danroy Henry Sr. Says.

Danroy Henry Sr., the father of Easton native DJ Henry - who was shot and killed by New York Police Officer Aaron Hess Oct. 17, 2010 -  said that the standards of justification for his son's death are being lowered by contradicting statements made by witnesses and Hess himself. "If you allege that a wrong was committed that required the use of deadly force to stop, and if what you allege then is proven to be false then the standard that would apply to justify the taking of that life turns into a lesser one," Henry said. Henry, along with his lawyer Michael Sussman, spoke with the media on a conference call Friday - a day after the transcript Hess' deposition given in Federal Court was released to the public. Hess was grilled by Sussman as …

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New York Officer Who Shot DJ Henry Questioned in Federal Court

DJ Henry family's attorney questioned Aaron Hess Tuesday.

Pleasantville, NY Police Officer Aaron Hess appeared in federal court in White Plains for the first time to give a deposition in the civil lawsuit filed against him by the family of Danroy "DJ" Henry, an Easton native. "It's the first time we heard his story told by him," said Danroy Henry Sr., DJ's father, who was present for the proceedings today with his wife, Angella. Henry added that it is part of a legal process related to the lawsuit. Michael Sussman, the attorney representing Henry's parents in a civil lawsuit against Hess, as well as the Village of Pleasantville and Town of Mount Pleasant, questioned the police officer—who has not been active since the shooting—today. Sussman spoke about the case on a conference call with the …

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Federal Judge to Allow Motions in Lawsuits Against Aaron Hess

The attorney of the police officer who shot DJ Henry will still seek a dismissal of charges.

At a pre-motion conference in federal court today, U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas granted Brian Sokoloff, the attorney for Pleasantville Police Officer Aaron Hess, the opportunity to file for a dismissal of all charges against his client within the next 30 days. Seven peers of Danroy "DJ" Henry—the Pace University student and Easton native who was shot to death by police at the Thornwood Shopping Center on Oct. 17, 2010—have filed lawsuits against Hess, along with the case's associated municipalities and several local officials. Joseph Romanick, Daniel Parker, Desmond Hinds, Rebecca Gallo, Joseph Garcia and Yves Delpeche all appeared in court for the proceedings today and stood alongside their attorney Bonita Zelman for press statements…

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Hess' Attorney Challenges Charges in DJ Henry Case

Pleasantville Police Officer Aaron Hess's attorney and plaintiffs' lawyers to meet next month.

The parties involved in the several lawsuits pending following the October 2010 shooting death of Pace University student and Easton native Danroy "DJ" Henry will meet for a pre-motion conference on July 10. The scheduled meeting in the White Plains United States District Court follows an April 4 pre-motion conference meeting overseen by Judge Kenneth M. Karas. The upcoming conference was requested by Brian Sokoloff, the attorney representing Pleasantville Police Officer Aaron Hess, who fired the fatal shot at the Thornwood Shopping Center. A Westchester County grand jury failed to indict Hess during a hearing last February. Danroy and Angella Henry, DJ's parents, have also filed a suit against The Village of Pleasantville. Danroy Henry Sr…

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Muscato's Musings

Danroy Henry And Trayvon Martin

We All Need To Work And To Care About Making Sense Of All Of This

  It was back in the spring of 1999, maybe a week or so after the shooting massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado.  I was with a friend at the restaurant Pier 4 in Boston, to attend an event at which former Secretary of the Navy, Jim Webb, was speaking, and which he would also sign copies of his new novel, The Emperor’s General.  Jim Webb is what you call as standup as standup can be:  accomplished, honorable, courageous, and very smart.   I admire him tremendously.  At the time of the event at Pier 4, his career was that of a successful filmmaker and author.  He was a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and had gone on to  the Marine Corps, and on to Vietnam where he became a highly decorated combat leader.  Today, Jim Webb is a U.S…

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Updated: Statements, Surveillance and More Released in Henry Case

The Henry family attorney began to publicly share the case's documentation today.

After a federal judge in White Plains, NY ruled on Thursday that materials related to the shooting death of Pace University football player and Easton native Danroy "DJ" Henry including police statements, witness statements, surveillance footage, police calls and more could be released to the public, the Henry family attorney has started to publicize some of the items. "Generally, there’s a desire, apart from Grand Jury testimony, to have the public right to know respected," Henry family attorney Michael Sussman said on Monday. "Judge (George A.) Yanthis respected the public right to know and I was pleased that he did so. I don’t think the judge released this knowing what was in it, thinking it would show one side or the other. I don’t …

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Judge Allows Release of Key Materials in DJ Henry Shooting Case

Magistrate Judge George A. Yanthis made the decision Thursday afternoon in a New York Federal Court.

A federal judge ruled today that police material from the night of—and investigation that followed—Easton native Danroy “DJ” Henry’s death in Thornwood, NY will be publicly released as the case’s federal investigation continues. Magistrate Judge George A. Yanthis ruled that key elements of the case previously withheld will now be released to the public, including detective's notes associated with the shooting, video and audio of police interviews with witnesses, 911 calls, more than 100 witness statements and police radio transmissions on the night of the shooting. Henry, a 20-year-old Pace University student, was shot and killed by Pleasantville and Mount Pleasant, NY police in the early morning hours of Oct. 17, 2010 while in his car in …

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DJ Henry's Peers Sue County, Pleasantville and Mount Pleasant Police

Henry's peers announced the filing of several lawsuits Saturday.

On the eve of the one year anniversary of the shooting death of Pace University student and Easton native Danroy "DJ" Henry, family, friends and members of the community gathered on the steps of the Federal U.S. District Courthouse in White Plains to announce several lawsuits as they continue the fight for justice in Henry’s death. Yves Delpeche, Joseph Garcia, Joseph Romanick and Daniel Parker—Henry’s peers who were allegedly beat up and tasered as they tried to help him that night—were later arrested and prosecuted. The charges were later dropped by the Westchester County District Attorney's office.  “We stand here today on the one year anniversary of [Henry's] death,” said Bonita Zelman, an attorney for the students. “His life was …

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