Student from N. Easton slain by cops after N.Y. bar brawl

By O’Ryan Johnson and Christine McConville

NORTH EASTON -- A shattered father says there are conflicting accounts of what happened when his 20-year-old son was shot and killed by New York police in a bar brawl’s aftermath early yesterday.
“We have been assured by the police there will be an impartial investigation into what happened,” Danroy Henry Sr. told reporters outside of his North Easton home, where the late Danroy Henry Jr., a Pace University football player, grew up.

The grieving father had just returned from New York, where he spoke to police and eyewitnesses about what happened. He said there is more than one witness version of the fatal confrontation but said he will wait until police complete their investigation before elaborating further.

Police in Mount Pleasant, N.Y., said they were called to Finnegan’s Grill in Thornwood, N.Y., around 1:20 a.m. after a “large group of unruly patrons” had gathered outside.

As officers from several departments tried to “quell the situation,” a Mount Pleasant cop approached a car that was parked in a fire lane.

Police said the officer knocked on the window, but the car, driven by Danroy Henry Jr., began moving. When a Pleasantville police officer tried to stop it, Henry accelerated and struck him, police said. With that officer on the vehicle’s hood, a second officer, who stepped in and tried to pull that officer to safety, was also struck, police said.

The Pleasantville officer, still clinging to the hood of the car, then shot and killed Henry, police said. A passenger in Henry’s car was also shot, but survived the minor injury, police said.

Henry was a 2007 graduate of Oliver Ames High School in Easton. He spent his freshman year at Iona College, then transferred to Pace in 2009. He was a junior studying business management and he played wide receiver and defensive back for the Pace football team.

“He was our star cornerback,” said Pace football coach Chris Dapolito. “He was hands down the best athlete on the team ... as well as a great person. I never had any problem with him. He was an extremely hard worker.”

Pace president Stephen Friedman said the school was “deeply saddened by the news” of Henry’s death.
“We extend the deepest sympathies of our community to Mr. Henry’s family and friends. We are working with the police investigation and as appropriate will share more information when it becomes available,” Friedman said yesterday.

Henry’s father said his son had high moral character and was well liked by those around him.
“He was a student athlete. He just played a great game. He was popular on campus and in this community,” he said.

He said the family was still reeling from the young man’s death.

“We need to make plans to deal with the death of our son,” he said. “We ask you to respect that.”
Yesterday, as Pace students prepared for a vigil to celebrate Henry’s life, his relatives in Massachusetts struggled to comprehend how things could have gone so wrong.

“He was a great kid,” Henry’s aunt Rene Dozier said. “Very humble, very respectful.”

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1289591