Filed under: News, Race and Civil Rights
On Wednesday, Danroy Henry Sr. (pictured left) and Angella Henry (pictured right with children) officially filed their lawsuit against policeman Aaron Hess for shooting and killing their son, Danroy Henry Jr., in Thornwood, N.Y.
At the press conference, Henry Sr. said:
"Our son was wrongfully killed. The pain of losing our son so suddenly is insatiable and not only has his absence changed us forever, but his suffering will always haunt us as well."
The Henrys contend that Hess violated their son's civil and constitutional rights and look to be compensated for Danroy's death as well as their suffering. Danroy was a junior studying business administration at Pace University. He was shot while he waited with friends outside a bar.
Just last week, Officer Hess was awarded the "Policeman of the Year" award by his colleagues for his "dignity and professionalism" since Danroy's death.
Yes, really.
And back in February, a grand jury cleared Hess of any wrongdoing, so he wasn't indicted.
Hess said that he was forced to shoot Danroy when he almost ran him over with his vehicle, while in the parking lot of Finnegan's Grille last October.
In the lawsuit, the Henrys counter Hess' claim, saying "multiple witnesses" saw something other than what Hess described.
According to the AP:
They say Hess jumped in front of the car, "ascended" the hood and fired at their son for no good reason. They say he "steadied himself and fired four shots."
The lawsuit makes them eligible to subpoena surveillance video and 911 recordings that they weren't allowed access before:
"We don't know what's on them, but we think if that material was helpful to the other side they would have been released already," said Henry Sr.
As I wrote last time, I hope the full truth comes out. One of my readers commented that I appear biased toward Henry's family in this case, but the truth is, we should all be asking for details and transparency when a young person loses their life in such a senseless way.
And let's be real, police in this country have a history of being trigger happy when it comes to black youth.
If Hess is honest in his testimony that he was indeed forced to shoot in order to protect his life, then let surveillance video prove and support that. If, however, Hess did do what onlookers say, deliberately firing in to Danroy's Nissan "for no good reason," then he should be penalized to the fullest extent of the law.
And if this line of thinking makes me biased, then so be it.
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