Pace University Football Player, DJ Henry, Passed Away 13 Years Ago Today

On October 16th, 2010, Pace University football star DJ Henry was nursing a gridiron loss with his family and his best friend Brandon Cox, who was a player for Pace’s opponent that night, Stonehill College. On October 17th, 2010, the 20-year-old, filled with so much life and promise, was shot and killed by a police officer.

Henry was a light in this world, a light that his family has so kindly allowed to shine on through his legacy that they continue to honor. DJ left this world far too soon, but he will not be forgotten.

This author is a firm believer that history—the active portrayal of history—is crucial. Part of the reason is that the same type of tragic stories are not repeated, and so the sacrifices of the people who have gone before us can be honored. Many other articles written by this author with this objective can be viewed here.

DJ Henry’s Early Life

Danroy Henry Jr. was born in Easton, Massachusetts, on October 29th, 1989, and was the eldest child of Danroy and Angella Henry. He had a younger brother, Kyle, and a younger sister, Amber.

The oldest Henry graduated from Oliver Ames High School in Easton, MA. During school, he was an incredibly talented athlete playing soccer in junior high, and in high school, he was a three-sport athlete playing track, football, and basketball.

DJ Henry also attended Jubilee Christian Church in Stoughton, MA, where he was baptized with his best friend, Brandon Cox.

After graduating, Henry chose to leave his hometown and attend college in Pleasantville, New York, at Pace University. He was a junior in college and a successful student athlete.

According to his Pace University Athletics profile, DJ Henry was both a wide receiver and defensive back in 2010. Many players are unable to command both sides of the ball well enough to play both in a collegiate setting.

In 2010, DJ was playing as a defensive back for Pace. He had played in the first six games of the season and had already racked up six solo tackles and five assists, along with an interception.

Unfortunately, we will never know how DJ Henry would have finished out his season. Or his collegiate career. Or the rest of his life. The defensive back never got to live out his potential because his life was stolen from him when he was just 20 years old.

What Happened on October 17th, 2010?

DJ Henry’s best friend, Brandon Cox, details a lot of what happened after the football game.

First, the families reunite. The men had been besties for many years, and the families were close.

“After the game we all came together and both our families went out to eat and it was just like being back home, just like high school again. All our families together, having a meal and just enjoying each other’s company.”

The young men then went to DJ Henry’s apartment and played video games before going out. The Pace students decided they would go to the local popular bar and grill, Finnegan’s, in Thornwood, NY, for a dance night. A DJ was on the 1s and 2s, and the floor had been cleared of tables and chairs to create a dance floor of sorts.

Cox and Henry were having a great time. Many of DJ’s teammates planned on being at the bar and grill, and Henry was introducing his best friend to his college buds.

The Scuffle

Around 1 AM on October 17th, two men not in DJ Henry’s party had a shoving match. The fight was broken up, and one of the shovers got the boot from the bar. The man who was removed from the bar came back and broke a pane of glass by punching it.

The owner decided to close down the shop, and the crowd began to slowly leave the building after the DJ made the announcement that the festivities were over.

Things continued to go downhill. Around 1:20 AM, a fight broke out in the strip mall that Finnegan’s was located in. DJ Henry’s party was not involved with this fight (if there was one) either.

Two minutes later, a Mount Pleasant police officer, Mr. Castagna, arrived, and at 1:23 AM, he indicated there was no fight, just a large gathering of individuals.

The Fire Lane

Another Mount Pleasant police officer, Mr. Gagnon, arrived at the scene shortly after.

Officer Gagnon noticed people in the parking lot of the strip mall, as well as the Nissan Altima. DJ Henry was driving in the fire lane outside of Finnegan’s. Henry had arrived at the bar and grill with four friends in his car, and everyone had not come back to the vehicle yet, so he was waiting outside of the establishment for a few friends to pile in the back.

In attempting to clear the area, Officer Gagnon first blew an air horn to get the attention of the Nissan Altima’s driver to move the car as it was improperly parked. The police officer then tapped on the car to get Henry’s attention and told the young man to move the car.

DJ Henry complies, driving for the exit of the strip mall.

Shots Are Fired

It’s important to note that what happens next is portrayed differently depending on who’s perspective is being told, so we will make sure to cover the incident from all angles.

Brandon Cox recalls what happens next: “So DJ put the car into drive and starts to drive away. And as we come around the corner an officer with his gun raised runs between two police cars that were on the side of us and runs in front of the vehicle with his gun raised and as DJ starts to slow down, he opens fire and then the car speeds back up because there are bullets coming through the front windshield. And I had felt something hit my arm and I wasn’t sure what it was and look out of the corner of my eye and I can see the police officer on the hood firing into the car from the hood of the car.”

The officer running in front of the vehicle was Mr. Hess of the Pleasantville Police Department. Hess testified later in court that he had motioned the car to stop because he thought Officer Gagnon had been hit by the car, as he had seen him get knocked off balance by the vehicle. Officer Hess also recalled stopping in front of the vehicle and, years later, admitted that he would have been able to step out of the way of the vehicle. His lawyer had a different narrative.

Hess’s attorney, Mitchell Baker, described Hess’s perceived four options at this moment: “If he went to the left, he’d get hit. If he went to the right he’d get hit. If he went backwards, he’d get run over. So what his training taught him was to jump on the hood of the car. Mr. Henry was further directed to stop his car. He did not, and that’s when the shots were had.”

After ending up on the hood of the car, Officer Hess shot four bullets into the windshield of the car when he felt Henry was accelerating the vehicle. Other witnesses indicated that the first shots were fired before Hess was on the hood of the car.

In the confusion, a Mount Pleasant officer, Mr. Beckley, shot at Hess, not realizing he was an officer. The friendly fire was described this way: Mount Pleasant N.Y. Officer Ronald Beckley, who was also at the scene, said he saw “a dark figure” on DJ’s hood that he thought was an “aggressor.” Beckley fired one shot at that figure, whom he did not know was a fellow officer at the time. Beckley did not hit Aaron Hess.

Hess was flown from the car, and the vehicle came to a stop after hitting a police vehicle.

The Immediate After Math

Multiple witnesses indicate that DJ Henry was pulled from the car, handcuffed, and placed or thrown face down on the ground. He had scratches and bruises on his face, according to his parents, that were not consistent with the injuries associated with the gunshots.

The cops at the scene said they were not aware that DJ Henry had been shot and needed medical treatment.

A woman who did not appear to be associated with either Henry’s party or either police department present attempted to render aid, beginning CPR on DJ. She was later replaced by the EMTs, who arrived two minutes after the shots were reported at 1:28 AM.

Henry was placed on a stretcher and wheeled onto the ambulance. He was pronounced dead at the scene. DJ Henry had been shot twice, once in the heart.

It is of interest that it has been reported that it was 10 minutes after the shots were fired before DJ was put on a defibrillator at the scene. A defibrillator is the device that delivers electrical shock to the heart when someone is in cardiac arrest in an attempt to bring their heart back to a normal rhythm.

A civil rights attorney later indicated that paramedics ignored DJ Henry dying on the ground and his friends screaming for help, instead opting to treat Hess’s knee injury, which was not life-threatening. A police officer allegedly said that “they’re just thugs” when people requested help for DJ Henry.

Brandon Cox was also injured. He had a graze wound from one of the bullets on his left arm and was taken to the hospital in handcuffs.

Henry’s Parents and the Hospital

At 3 AM, DJ Henry’s parents are informed that their son had been in an accident when Easton police arrived at their door. The officers handed DJ’s parents a piece of paper with the number of the hospital on it and left. After phoning the hospital, Henry’s parents find out the extent of their son’s injuries and immediately drive to New York.

Brandon Cox’s parents were at the hospital waiting for the couple, having arrived when they found out their son was also injured. They had been in the same medical facility with Hess and fellow cops who were at the hospital to support their wounded friend. Cox’s father noted Hess’s demeanor: “He seemed to be in good spirits. He was lifted up off of what I believe was a wheelchair and he lifted up to talk to an officer. He just didn’t seem bothered the way that we were. We were in total shock.”

A Nasty Narrative

The Pleasantville police set out a narrative that conveniently left out some of the important details. A statement from the police department indicated that “DJ Henry sped off after an officer knocked on his car’s window.” It went on to say the car struck an officer, and another officer attempted to pull the Pleasantville cop off the hood but was also struck.

The video cameras in the police cars were not operational during the shooting. Some evidence was captured via video, but the Henry family was not given access to it. The video evidence itself did not clear up what happened, leaving more questions than answers.

Is this 2023 or 1823?

In 2023, the results of a report requested by Westchester, NY, District Attorney Miriam Rocah were released. No new evidence was found that would warrant bringing the case in front of a new grand jury. The jury had initially declined to indict Hess. A US attorney later explained the likely reasoning behind the decision, saying Hess “made “a split-second decision under conditions of extreme danger, conditions under which the law generally allows latitude to a police officer’s judgment.”

The report did indicate that the incident was not handled without flaw by the police, and Rocah said the family was treated improperly by the powers that be following the death of their son.

The Henry’s accepted a $6 million wrongful death lawsuit against Hess and the Pleasantville police department. They also sued the Mount Pleasant police, receiving an undisclosed amount of money, a donation to the Dream Fund, and a public apology.

Hess ended up suing a liquor store for selling alcohol to the young men. It is believed that Henry’s blood alcohol level was .13 during the incident.

The same year the details of the crime were released in the lawsuit’s deposition, Hess was awarded an Officer of the Year award by the Pleasantville police department, acknowledging his “dignity” and “professionalism” since the shooting. Hess has since retired with a full pension.

Officer Beckley, the individual who shot at Officer Hess, did not return to work after the incident and retired three months later, after 30 years on the job.

DJ Henry’s Legacy Lives On

The Henry family created the DJ Henry Dream Fund as a way to continue to honor DJ’s legacy. As of July 2023, they had just given away $1 million in his honor. The vision of the DJ Henry Dream Fund is to share DJ’s love of sports by providing community-based scholarships to Massachusetts children between the ages of 5 to 18. Believing that every child deserves a “YES” when it comes to community engagement, DJHDF provides financial support allowing youths to participate in community-based programs such as sports, performing arts, and summer programs. Participation in such programs, despite economic position, empowers young people to be the best they can be.

It’s ideal to focus on the positives in this scenario, like who DJ Henry was before his life was tragically taken.

The jaw-droppingly despicable trash can ethics of police officers, police departments, and medical professionals in this entire situation speak for themselves, and unfortunately, DJ Henry will likely not get the justice that he so deserves legally. This case is sickening, it’s infuriating, and it speaks to where we still are as a society.

May we keep DJ Henry’s name in the forethought of our minds so that history does not repeat itself. We have to do better as a society. As MLK said, “No one is free until we are all free.”

RIP, DJ Henry. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten, and neither will your legacy.