Celebrities have banned together to help reignite the investigation into a 10-year-old case. On October 17, 2010, Danroy "DJ " Henry Jr. was shot and killed by Pleasantville police officer Aaron Hess in New York. Henry was unarmed at the time and while the case made its way to a grand jury, no charges have ever been filed. Now it looks like things are heating up in the call for justice for Danroy Henry as Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Odell Beckham Jr., Charlize Theron, Pharrell Williams, and many more have petitioned for the case to be reopened and re-examined.
A letter signed by the aforementioned and others was sent to Attorney General William Barr on Monday (July 13). “As the Department knows, this agonizing case remains an unhealed wound for the Henry family and the people of New York,” the letter reads. “More concerning, even a cursory review of the fact pattern of what occurred distills more questions than answers.”
It's reported that Henry, 20, was out with friends celebrating homecoming and was in a vehicle outside of a bar. Officers allegedly approached and told him to move his car out of the fire lane. According to an officer's report, Danroy put his foot on the gas and rammed two police officers, causing one of them to open fire and shoot the college student.
However, witnesses who were passengers in the vehicle tell a different story. They say Danroy was attempting to move his car out of the way when an officer stood in front of him and fired shots. Ballistics reportedly support this theory, especially as it pertains to the trajectory of the bullets fired, and that officers weren't in harm's way.
It's unknown whether or not the letter to the Attorney General will bring any charges against the officers involved.
