DJ Henry’s family files federal suit against N.Y. cop

DJ Henry’s family files federal suit against N.Y. cop

By Laura Crimaldi  |   Wednesday, April 20, 2011  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Coverage

The family of a Pace University football player from Easton who was fatally shot last fall by New York cops today is filing a wrongful death suit in federal court.

Angella and Danroy Henry Sr. are meeting with reporters at noon to discuss the legal action against a cop who shot at Danroy “DJ” Henry Jr. and the village that employs him.

“While we recognize both the broader efforts to distort the truth and conspire in secret to deny our family and those following, a complete picture of the events leading to our son’s death, we are choosing to sharpen our focus on those most responsible for his death,” the couple said in a statement released by their attorney. “We are not oblivious to the reality that several people participated in the inhumane treatment of our son, allowing him to die without regard for basic human dignities handcuffed alone on the ground.”

The suit names Officer Aaron Hess and the Village of Pleasantville, N.Y., according to a copy of the complaint provided by Henry family lawyer Michael Sussman. The suit will be filed this afternoon in federal court in New York, Sussman said. The complaint does not disclose the amount of money the family is seeking in damages.

Henry, 20, was fatally shot on Oct. 17, 2010, outside a bar after, according to police, he ignored instructions to stop his vehicle. Hess, who fired at Henry four times, was honored earlier this month as an “officer of the year” by the Pleasantville Police Benevolent Association. The honor outraged Henry’s family.

“The PBA’s choice to celebrate our son’s death was a poor one and further energizes our fight for truth and answers to simple but relevant questions,” the couple’s statement said.

Hess was cleared of criminal wrongdoing by a New York grand jury in February.

The federal Department of Justice is also reviewing the shooting.

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