Video shows Illinois deputy shooting dead unarmed Black woman who called 911 for help: ‘Senseless on every level'
Sonya Massey, 36, was fatally shot in the face by deputy Sean Grayson.
Prosecutors have released body-camera footage of an unarmed Black woman being shot dead by an Illinois sheriff’s deputy in her house this month. Deputies had arrived at the house of the victim, Sonya Massey, after she called 911 to report a prowler.
Sean Grayson and another Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy were seen in the video inspecting the property around Massey’s houses on July 6. They had a seemingly normal conversation with Massey for 18 minutes, but the incident turned deadly when Grayson was seen ordering Massey to drop a pot of hot water and then shooting her in the face, killing her.
Grayson has been indicted on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct. This comes after several weeks of investigation by the Illinois State Police and the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office. As per records, Grayson is now at the Menard County Detention Facility, Washington Post reported. If convicted of the murder charges, he faces life in prison.
The incident
On July 6, around 12:50 am, Grayson and another deputy went to Massey’s house in Springfield after receiving her 911 call. They inspected the area and discovered that a car had been broken into, but found no prowler.
Prosecutor Mary Rodgers said that the deputies then knocked on Massey’s door and spoke to her before going inside to make sure it was safe. The video shows the deputies walking toward the kitchen when Grayson notices a pot on the stove. He lets Massey remove the pot to ensure there is no accidental fire. The footage shows Massey turning off the stove, carrying the pot to her sink and then turning on the faucet.
As the other deputy backs up into Massey’s living room, she asks, “Where are you going?” “Away from your hot, steaming water,” one of the deputies responds.
“I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” Massey says, to which one of the deputies replies, “Huh?” “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” she repeats.
Warning her not to, Grayson says, using an expletive, “I swear to God I’ll shoot you right in your … face.”
Despite being a good distance away from Massey and having cover, Grayson pulls out his gun and points it at her. “Okay, I’m sorry,” Massey says, holding the pot in front of her ducking behind the cabinets for cover.
Rodgers said that Grayson then came towards Massey and “aggressively yelled” at her. He then opened fire, firing thrice and hitting Massey one in the face.
Grayson turned on his body camera only then. The other deputy, on the other hand, had turned it on upon arriving at the house. Prosecutors stressed that Massey, who weighed 110 pounds, was no threat to Grayson, who is 6-foot-3 and 228 pounds.
The other deputy told Grayson he was going to his vehicle to get a medical kit, Rodgers said. While Grayson initially asked him not to bother, they later brought the kit and the other deputy rendered aid until EMTs arrived at the scene.
Grayson allegedly defended the crime, telling the other deputy that before he shot Massey, the hot water had reached his feet. “What else do we do? I’m not taking hot boiling water to the … face,” he said, using an expletive.
Massey, 36, was rushed by medics to HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield. She eventually died.
A use-of-force expert with the Illinois State Police compared the shooting “to an officer intentionally and unnecessarily putting himself in front of a moving vehicle and then justifying use of force because of fear of being struck.” Meanwhile, Rodgers said that Grayson’s “disregard of his training as a law enforcement officer, and his disregard for human life, shows by clear and convincing evidence that he is a danger to persons in the community.”
Massey’s family is being represented by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who called the incident “heinous” and “senseless on every level.” “She needed a helping hand. She did not need a bullet to the face,” Crump reportedly said at a news conference.