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Pleasantville Cop Admits Lunging Onto DJ Henry's Car With Gun

THORNWOOD, N.Y. – Pleasantville Police Officer Aaron Hess admitted drawing his weapon, pointing it at DJ Henry’s car and lunging onto the hood before firing four times through the windshield - all without seeing any of the car’s occupants, according to a transcript from Hess’s sworn testimony.

Hess said that while he was on the hood of Henry’s car, he aimed and fired at “center mass” of the driver.

“I saw the silhouette,” Hess said. “I didn’t physically see the driver or who it was.  I wouldn’t be able to describe who was driving the car.”

The transcript was released Thursday by the lawyer for Henry’s family, Michael Sussman, who conducted the deposition earlier this month. 

Hess also admitted that, when Henry’s vehicle was approaching him at a constant speed in the Thornwood parking lot, he did not move out of the way because he thought the car was going to stop.

“By the time I realized that the vehicle wasn’t going to stop, I didn’t have a chance to go left, right, and if I stood on the balls of my feet, I was going to be run over,” Hess said.  “So as the vehicle was coming towards me, I lunged forward as it hit my legs. At that time, as I was on the hood, the engine revved up again.”

The deposition was the first sworn testimony that Hess has given about what happened the night of Oct. 17, 2010, when he shot and killed Henry, a Pace University student.  Toxicology reports released after the shooting showed that the 20-year-old Henry was intoxicated when he drove out of the fire lane at the Thornwood Shopping Center and struck Hess with his car. 

Henry’s mother released a written statement on a Facebook page dedicated to their son, and Danroy Henry Sr. released a YouTube video Friday updating friends and family about the deposition.

Angella Henry, DJ’s mother, said that the worst of the deposition — in regard to Henry’s treatment after he was shot — is yet to be released.

“Wait until you read the other depositions about how cruel they were to our beloved son,” Henry wrote. “You will see all of the contradictions and lies as bright as the sun! Justice is coming.”

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