Fatal Shooting Outside A Bar

Mount Pleasant Police Car

Mount Pleasant Police Chief, Louis Alagno, identified at a morning press conference, the police officers and the car passengers that were involved in the Sunday’s fatal shooting of a Pace University student outside a Thornwood bar.

Alagno clarified a few details of the incident and he added that the investigation is still continuing. Danroy Henry, a 20-year-old Pace football player from North Easton, MA. was killed. He also said that a police officer knocked on the driver’s side window of the Nissan Ultima when it stopped in the fire lane at the shopping center where a brawl was underway before the car took off. He said that the driver was Danroy Henry.

The Pleasantville police Officer Aaron Hess ended up on the hood of the car and discharged his weapon. Aaron Hess is an officer in Pleasantville since May 27, 2003, and before that, from March 2000, he was a New York City policeman.

Mount Pleasant Officer Ronald Beckley, who has been with the department since November 24, 1980 also discharged his weapon. In the incident was injured Mount Pleasant Officer Carl Castagna, who has been with the department since August 1, 2005.

Brandon Cox, a 20-year-old from South Easton, MA was identified as the passenger from the front seat of the vehicle. He had a “grave wound to his left arm” from the even said Alagno. Cox was a former high school classmate of Henry’s. The two were attending Oliver Ames High School in North Easton, MA.

Desmond Hinds, a 21-year-old Stamford resident wasn’t injured in the accident. He was in the back seat of the car. Many departments of local police responded with mutual aid, said the chief, including: Tarrytown, Yorktown, New Castle, Sleepy Hollow, Hastings, North Castle, Briarcliff, Elmsford, Greenburg, Yonkers, Westchester County police, the DEP and the state police.

State officials are working with the department and with Westchester County Crime Scene Unit and the District Attorney’s Office. “We have requested and received assistance from the New York State Police Major Case Unit,” said the chief.

The involved officers are not working since the incident, he said. Interviews are ongoing and they will be placed on administrative duty. There are more than 20 years since a Mount Pleasant officer shot his gun while on duty—returning fire from suspects during a burglary, the chief said. “I don’t believe a Mount Pleasant police officer has ever shot and killed someone.”