Sonya Massey, a Black lady from Illinois, was tragically shot by a police officer after she called 911 because she was afraid that an intruder was in her house. The new body cam film depicts the killing of Sonya Massey, which is disturbing.
President Joe Biden issued a statement shortly after the tape was made public, in which he expressed his disapproval of the loss of Massey and expressed his approval of the decision made by the Springfield State’s Attorney’s office to prosecute Sean Grayson, a former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy, with the crime of murder.
The film, which was acquired by The New York Times and made public by the Illinois State Police on Monday, July 22, shows two deputies arriving to Massey’s residence on the morning of July 6. Before knocking on Massey’s door and accompanying her inside, the deputies seemed to examine the front of her house as well as the backside of her property.
After then, it seemed as if they inquired about Massey’s identity as she was sitting on a couch. This occurred just before she got up to pick up a pot of hot water from the stove. “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” she said to the deputies when she finally did so, as reported by The Times news organization.
According to the publication, Grayson sent a response in which he told her that she “better not” and used a few expletives before threatening to shoot her in the face. In a matter of seconds, he pulled out his firearm, commanded the lady to let go of the pot she was carrying, and then proceeded to fire two bullets at her. The next thing he did was pull out his radio and report a lady who had a gunshot wound to her head.
Massey was eventually declared passed at St. John’s Hospital, according to a news statement issued by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office at the time of the incident.
On accusations of first-degree murder, aggravated violence with a firearm, and official misconduct, Grayson was indicted by the Sangamon County State’s Attorney General’s Office. Grayson was also charged with official misconduct. Immediately after the video was made public, the Attorney’s Office issued a statement to the New York Times, in which they said that the evidence demonstrated that Grayson had not been “justified in his use of deadly force.”
Please note that the Sangamon County State’s Attorney General’s Office did not immediately reply to the request for comment that was made by PEOPLE.
The Vice President of the United States added in his speech that Massey “should be alive today” and that all Americans should be free to call for assistance “without fear for our lives.” He proceeded by saying, “The fact that Sonya was killed by a responding officer serves as a reminder that all too frequently, African-Americans are confronted with concerns regarding their safety in a manner that many of the rest of us do not.”
Further, the president expressed his “heartbreak” for Massey’s “children and her entire family” for this “unthinkable and senseless loss,” adding that her family “deserves justice.” Massey’s loss was described as “absolutely heartbreaking.”
The prompt efforts that were taken by the office of the State’s Attorney in Springfield are worthy of praise as well. “While we wait for the case to be prosecuted, let us pray to comfort those who are grieving,” Vice President Biden stated, while also encouraging Congress to enact the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which is a bill that aims to deter misbehavior on the part of law enforcement staff.
Ben Crump, the attorney representing the Massey family, also referred to the occurrence as “heinous” at a news conference that took place on Monday, July 22. He also said, “Until we get justice for Sonya Massey, we rebuke this discriminatory justice system in the name of Jesus.”
Grayson’s actions were “inexcusable and do not reflect the values or training of our office,” according to a statement that was posted on social media by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s agency on the same day.
According to Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell, “Sonya Massey lost her life due to an unjustifiable and reckless decision by former Deputy Sean Grayson.” Campbell also said that Grayson had “other options available that he should have used.”
This event does not represent the principles or conduct of our law enforcement community, he added. “This incident is not accurate.” “It was a tragic decision that was made by a person who had the education, tools, and experience to know better,” the speaker said. The maintenance of a standard that avoids catastrophes of this kind from happening in the future is something that we are dedicated to doing.
Based on the information provided by the Washington Post, Grayson has entered a plea of not guilty and is now being detained without bail at the Menard County Detention Facility.
