DJ Henry
October 17, 2010, Danroy “DJ” Henry was shot and killed by a police officer while sitting in his car in Pleasantville, New York. The officer, Aaron Hess, removed Henry from the car, handcuffed him and left him on the ground to die. Hess was never held accountable for the murder, even winning Officer of the Year later that year and ultimately retired from the Pleasantville Police Department with his pension. The family of Henry received a $6 million settlement with Hess and the city of Pleasantville in 2016 after asking for another review of the case for a number of years.
In 2020, Jay-Z and Rihanna were a part of celebrities and influential figures who signed a letter sent to US Attorney General William Barr imploring the Justice Department to reopen Henry’s case and look into potential police misconduct as well as exploring the presence of racial discrimination in the situation. The letter read, “The facts support this request, the law all but requires it, and justice — it demands it."