Markey offers apology to family of unarmed Black teen amid criticism

Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey (D) apologized to the family of an unarmed Black teen killed 10 years ago after his father renewed the controversy around his death in a video posted to Twitter on Monday. 

“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. I am fully at their disposal, and hope to work with them,” Markey said in a statement, referring to the family of D.J. Henry, an unarmed, Black teenager who was shot and killed by a police officer in 2010 at Pace University in New York. Henry was a Massachusetts native. 

“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,” Markey said. 

“The Henrys have survived something that no parent should ever have to experience – the loss of a child. 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,” he continued.