Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey apologized to the family of Danroy “DJ” Henry Jr. after Danroy Henry Sr. posted a video condemning his response to his son’s death a decade ago.
Markey, a Democrat facing a tough primary battle against Rep. Joe Kennedy, apologized after he was condemned by Henry’s father for a campaign advertisement in which the senator said he was a leader on social justice issues.
“Sen. Markey, I was struck by your campaign ad today when I saw it saying that you stand up for people who trust you and that you are a leader in the fight for justice. But my wife and I came to you 10 years ago as grieving parents asking for your help with our son’s murder in upstate New York. … Not only did you not act in any way, but we felt like you were just dismissing us. Using even the term ‘colored’ in the conversation,” Henry Sr. said in a video posted to Twitter.
“If you truly are a champion for change, if you are on the right side of social justice issues, act that way when the cameras aren’t on you,” he added.
@EdMarkey @WBUR @BostonDotCom #djhenry #danroyhenryjr @wbz #Massachusetts @NYGovCuomo @wgbhnews @bostonherald @AOC pic.twitter.com/xsAYqE6ugd
— Danroy Henry Sr (@DanroyHenrysr) August 3, 2020
Henry Jr., a 20-year-old black man who played football for Pace University, died after he was shot by a white officer while unarmed. Calls for an investigation into his death have been reignited by the protests against police brutality and racial injustice after George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died in Minneapolis police custody on Memorial Day.
Markey apologized to the family after the Twitter post gained traction. He noted that he did join in calling on the Justice Department to investigate Henry Jr.’s death in 2014.
“I strongly support the Henry family’s efforts to reopen the case of the murder of their beloved son DJ Henry. I cannot fathom the pain that they must be feeling watching news about all of the families who have had loved ones murdered by the police. The Henry’s have survived something that no parent should ever have to experience — the loss of a child,” Markey said in a statement.
“I joined other members of the Massachusetts delegation in 2014 in calling on the Department of Justice to open a federal investigation into DJ Henry’s murder, and I am again calling on the Attorney General to do his job and offer justice to the Henry family and open this long-overdue investigation. I have reached out to the Henry family to offer my sincerest apologies, and to pledge to them my complete support to take action on this case,” he added.
Kennedy has noted that the Henrys are supporters of his campaign against Markey. The election takes place on Sept. 1.
