Pace Dedicates Clock Tower in DJ Henry's Memory

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – During his time at Pace University, DJ Henry made an impact on many lives. On Monday afternoon, his short life made a withstanding impact as the university dedicated a new clock tower on campus in Henry’s honor.

“It’s important to keep DJ’s spirit alive,” Angela Henry, DJ’s mother said at Monday’s ceremony. “We can’t let DJ’s spirit just stop, we need to allow it to continue to grow.”

DJ’s parents Angela and Dan Henry along with members of the Pace community, including some of Henry’s former teammates on the Pace football team, gathered at the unveiling ceremony.  The clock tower dedicated to Henry stands just outside of the Goldstein Health & Fitness Center on the Pleasantville Campus. 

“We know DJ is smiling down on us from ear-to-ear, giving one of those little chuckles he would do whenever he was very excited about something,” Dan Henry said. 

In October of 2010, then 20-year-old DJ Henry was shot and killed by Pleasantville Police Officer Aaron Hess during a chaotic crime scene at the Thornwood Shopping Center in which Henry struck Hess with his vehicle. He was a junior at Pace at the time. 

Joseph O’Donnell, former athletic director at Pace, said the clock holds a specific dedication to Henry.

“We started looking at clocks and we probably looked at 500 or so and one of the football players noticed one thing, that none of the clocks had numbers on them,” O’Donnell said. “So someone suggested that we put DJ’s number, number 12, on the clock and you’ll see that it’s the only number on the clock and it’s very significant.”

Earlier this March, Henry’s parents and their lawyer Michael Sussman released numerous court documents to the public that are related to their son’s shooting. They continue to search for justice for their son’s death through an ongoing legal battle. Daniel Henry said that it is important to keep fighting in his son’s honor.

“This is really a chance to stop and celebrate DJ’s life but we’re not done yet, there’s still more change to come,” Daniel Henry said. 

 

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