Following the tragic shooting of a 36-year-old woman who had dialled 911 to report a potential intruder at her residence, bodycam footage revealing what transpired has been made public.
The incident occured on July 6 when Sonya Massey contacted the police, believing there was an intruder at her Springfield home, located 200 miles south of Chicago.
Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson is accused of shooting Massey in the face.
He was dismissed from the police force and indicted for murder and official misconduct.
Grayson pleaded not guilty last week and is currently held without bond
The released bodycam footage shows officers knocking on Massey’s door, which she cautiously opens.
“Please don’t hurt me,” Massey pleads. Grayson reassures her, “Why would I hurt you? You called us.”
The officers inform Massey that they’ve searched the surrounding area and didn’t find anyone. They offer assistance and ask about her mental well-being, which she confirms is okay. As she closes the door, Massey expresses gratitude, “I love ya’ll, thank ya’ll.”
The officers inquire about a black SUV with a smashed window in her driveway, which she denies owning, stating someone left it there.
They then enter Massey’s home, asking for her name to “get out of your hair.”
The officers followed her inside when Massey entered her home, and watched as she searched for her identification.
In the video, Grayson sees a pot sitting on a stove, gestures towards it and says, “we don’t need a fire while we’re here”.
Massey walks to the stove to remove the pot. The situation escalates when she moves the pot from the stove.
“Where you goin’?” she asks the officers.
“Away from your hot, steaming water,”Grayson responds.
“I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” she says.
Massey does not approach the officers with the pot and stays in her kitchen.
“You better [expletive] not or I swear to God I’ll [expletive] shoot you in your [expletive] face,” Grayson says.
He then draws his pistol as he shouts for her to drop the pot.
“OK, I’m sorry,” Massey is heard saying before she falls.
Following the shooting, the officer callously remarks, “What else do we do? I’m not taking hot [expletive] boiling water to the [expletive] face.”
Massey was taken to a hospital, where she was declared dead, according to state police.
However, his actions have been widely condemned.
On Monday, the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office declared that Mr. Grayson’s use of force was unjustified.
President Biden expressed his heartbreak for Massey’s family, stating, “Sonya Massey, a beloved mother, friend, daughter, and young Black woman, should be alive today… Her death reminds us that Black Americans face unique fears for their safety.”
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul described the footage as “horrific” and urged calm as the case proceeds through the criminal justice system.
During a news conference, attorney Ben Crump, representing Massey’s family, asked a poignant question: did race play a role in the fatal shooting? “That is the lingering question in our community because many of us looked at that video and said, ‘If it was a white woman, he would not have done this,'”he said.
Crump later commended the decision to hold former deputy Grayson without bond, calling it “a crucial step towards justice for Sonya Massey’s loved ones.”
With Grayson’s next court date set for August 26, Crump reiterated the family’s demand for equal justice.
“We want equal justice for Sonya Massey, we said it before: whatever Grayson would be convicted of and sentenced to had it been a white woman is the same thing we want for this Black queen named Sonya Massey.”
Olekanma Favour is a resourceful, self-motivated, and result-driven writer with a passion for crafting compelling narratives and insightful content. She loves tackling complex topics and weaving engaging stories.
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