D.J.’s parents demand cops turn over investigation

D.J.’s parents demand cops turn over investigation
By Edward Mason  |   Thursday, October 28, 2010  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Coverage

In this photo taken Sunday, Oct. 17, 2010, police look at multiple bullet holes in the windshield of the car driven by Pace University student Danroy Henry outside a restaurant in Thornwood, N.Y.
Photo by Seth Harrison/The Journal News - File

The New York lawyer for the grieving family of Danroy “D.J.” Henry Jr. accused local police of allowing gunpowder traces to disappear from the vehicle as they probe the fatal shooting of the Pace University football player, and again called for the Justice Department to take over the investigation.

“The vehicle was not maintained properly,” attorney Michael Sussman told reporters in a teleconference yesterday. “Do I know someone did this intentionally? I have no way of knowing that. I do know you do not trust an investigation of this magnitude to an agency that claims they have had no bullets fired in 20 years. What experience to they have to conduct this?”

Sussman also rejected a request by Westchester District Attorney Janet DiFiore to meet with the Henry family, though he invited her to come to Boston to attend the public memorial the family is holding at the Boston Convention and Exhibition center at 2 p.m. tomorrow on what would have been Henry’s 21st birthday, and again called on her to turn the probe over to the feds.

“We’re not interested in social gatherings,” Sussman said. “If she were genuine, she’d let the Justice Department take over the investigation.”

A Department of Justice spokeswoman, Xochitl Hinojosa, said her office isn’t ready to take the probe out of local hands: “The Westchester District Attorney’s Office is investigating the shooting and, consistent with our general practice, the department is monitoring the local investigation.”

A spokesman for DiFiore’s office could not be reached.

Also yesterday, Sussman, who has blasted authorities for leaking blood test results purporting to show Henry was drunk when his car struck a Mount Pleasant police officer, said his investigators got access to Henry’s car for the first time since the Oct. 17 shooting. They turned up “no drugs, no alcohol . . . just Pepsi and Gatorade.”

Westchester Police Chief Louis Alagno could not be reached yesterday.

Sussman also said yesterday he’s asked the Westchester district attorney to give his investigators access to the “black boxes” of Henry’s Nissan and a Mount Pleasant police car it struck, to gauge how fast the Easton native was traveling when he was shot.

Meanwhile, Bonita Zelman, a lawyer for four of Henry’s teammates arrested that night, is looking to have the trial on charges related to the melee moved out of Westchester County.

“They won’t get a fair trial . . . or a fair investigation by the prosecutor’s office, who are relying on police involved in the acts of brutality to do the investigation,” Zelman said.

According to Zelman, Daniel Parker, Yves Delpeche and Joseph Garcia, all 22, face obstruction of justice charges. Joseph Romanick, 21, faces a felony criminal mischief charge. They’re due to be arraigned Nov. 4.

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