Illinois State Police released body camera footage from officers who responded to the home of a 36-year-old Black woman who called them to report someone lurking around her home. Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office deputies entered the home, and after talking, just as she stood up to turn off the stove and stir a pot, the victim was shot three times, once in the face.
Sonya Massey was at home when she noticed something suspicious and, thinking police might be able to help, called 911. Officer Sean Grayson and his partner showed up at the home shortly before 1 a.m. on July 6 in Springfield, 200 miles southwest of Chicago. The officers waited just minutes until Massey opened the door, all of which can be seen on the officers’ body camera video.
Her family didn’t know that an officer killed her.
The accident that ended the life of an African-American mother has caused voices from people who defend civil rights and those who are against the police force to demand justice for her unexpected death, especially her family, who were informed much later that Massey had died from the bullets of a police officer.
Officers entered Massey’s home, where she sat on her couch and was searching her purse because she was being asked for identification to fill out a report before leaving. Grayson then pointed to a pot sitting over a flame on the stove.
This is what they talked about
In an AP translation, Officer Grayson said: “We don’t need a fire while we’re here.”
Massey got up from the chair and went to the kitchen, bringing the pot to a sink to pour “boiling water” into the pot, before she said: “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”
Grayson responded, “You better not do that, or I swear to God I will shoot you in the face.” He then pulled out his 9mm pistol and demanded Massey drop the pot. Massey then said, “Okay, I’m sorry.”
Massey was in the kitchen, and a piece of furniture divided the living room on Grayson’s side. Grayson’s body camera footage showed him pointing his gun at Massey. She crouched down and put her hands up.
The shots fired by the officer were then heard, while his partner, with the gun in his hands, Grayson asked him to grab a medical kit to save her. “You can go get it, but it’s a shot to the head,” Grayson said, adding: “There’s nothing I can do.”
“What else can we do? I’m not going to take boiling water in the face,” the sheriff’s officer justified himself. Although part of this conversation is not complete in some shots of the video released by the Illinois State Police, some state news outlets managed to obtain more footage.
Grayson noticed that Massey was still breathing and decided he would go get his medical kit. The other officer said, “We can at least try to stop the bleeding.”
The former officer could face several years in prison
Sean Grayson, 30, was fired from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office and is being held in jail without bail. If convicted, the former officer could face prison sentences of 45 years to life for murder, 6 to 30 years for assault, and 2 to 5 years for misconduct.
The former officer pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a firearm and official misconduct. He again justified himself by saying that Massey wanted to throw boiling water in his face, WGNTV reported.
Civil rights attorney and Massey family representative Ben Crump called Grayson’s “revisionist” justification “bogus.” “He needed a helping hand, not a bullet in the face,” Crump said of Massey, according to the same news outlet.
Attorney Crump said that both he and Sonia’s family had already seen the video, and that it “would shock the conscience of America.”
The family demands justice
Massey’s father, James Wilburn, demanded that the county court system be completely open in its investigations and prosecutions and transparent with the public.
“The only time I’ll ever see my baby again is when I leave this world,” Wilburn said. “And I don’t want anyone else in the United States to join this league,” she said, according to WGNTV.
Body cam footage released Monday shows the shocking moments when Sonya Massey was fatally shot in the face by a deputy after she called 911 for help. Violence against Black women MUST STOP! We must demand FULL JUSTICE for Sonya Massey! pic.twitter.com/FlAiuCiSg0
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) July 23, 2024
Massey’s family is also calling for Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell to resign for hiring Sean Grayson, especially after learning of state records obtained by WGN, Nexstar, WCIA-TV showing Grayson worked for six different law enforcement agencies over a four-year period and has two misdemeanor DUI convictions.
For its part, in a statement to WGN, a spokesperson for the Department of Justice said the agency was “aware of and evaluating the circumstances surrounding the tragic death of Ms. Sonya Massey at the hands of an officer and extends its condolences to her family and loved ones. The Department will closely monitor the criminal case opened by the Sangamon County State’s Attorney.”
President Biden sends his condolences
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden issued a statement expressing their sorrow over the death of Sonya Massey.
“Sonya Massey, a beloved mother, friend, daughter and young black woman, should be alive today. Sonya called the police because she was concerned about a possible intruder,” the statement read.
“When we ask for help as Americans, regardless of who we are or where we live, we should be able to do so without fearing for our lives. Sonya’s death at the hands of a responding officer reminds us that too often, Black Americans face fears for their safety that many of the rest of us do not.”
“Sonya’s family deserves justice. I am heartbroken for her children and her entire family who are facing this unthinkable and senseless loss. Jill and I grieve with the rest of the country and our prayers are with Sonya’s family, loved ones and community during this devastating time.”
Some state news outlets also reported that Vice President Kamala Harris reached out to attorney Crump to express her condolences.
Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell also issued a statement saying there was no excuse for the way the former officer acted.
“Her actions were inexcusable and do not reflect the values or training of our office. She will now face trial by the criminal justice system and will never work in law enforcement again. Ms. Massey lost her life unnecessarily and her family deserves answers.”
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