Illinois officials and President Joe Biden have spoken out after the Illinois State Police released bodycam footage of the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey. The video made public on Monday afternoon, captures the chaotic aftermath as a sheriff’s deputy shot Massey in the face during a tense encounter over a pot of water in her home, told BBC.
Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct. He is currently being held in the Sangamon County Jail awaiting trial.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump commented on the footage, saying, “(The video) is going to shock the conscience of America. It is that senseless, that unnecessary, that unjustifiable, that unconstitutional. This sheriff’s deputy was twice as large as Sonya. Why would you have to use a gun to shoot her in the head?”
Massey, who is Black, had called 911 early on July 6 to report a suspected prowler outside her Springfield, Illinois home. The video begins with deputies searching Massey’s property and knocking on her door multiple times. Massey, a 36-year-old mother of two, eventually answers and speaks briefly with Grayson, who assures her, “Why would we hurt you? You called us.”
The situation escalates inside the house when Grayson notices a pot on the stove and instructs Massey to check on it. Massey, who appears disoriented, picks up the pot, leading to a heated exchange. “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” Massey says. Grayson responds, “You’d better fing not. I swear to God, I’ll fing shoot you right in your f***ing face.”
Grayson then raises his gun and orders Massey to “drop the f***ing pot!” Massey appears to duck for cover before Grayson fires three shots, killing her. Grayson did not activate his body camera until after the shooting, but footage from his partner’s camera captured the incident.
Following the shooting, Grayson allegedly advised his partner not to provide medical aid, stating, “She’s done. You can go get [the med kit], but that’s a headshot.” His partner, however, did tend to Massey until medical professionals arrived.
Massey’s father, James Wilburn, expressed his devastation after seeing the video. “I kind of feel watching, it’s a dream; I’m going to wake up. But I just don’t know. I don’t know what to say,” he said. Wilburn, a former law enforcement officer himself, added, “Some of my best friends are in law enforcement. I’m former law enforcement, so it’s embarrassing.”
President Joe Biden also weighed in, stating, “Sonya Massey, a beloved mother, friend, daughter, and young Black woman, should be alive today… Sonya’s family deserves justice. I am heartbroken for her children and her entire family as they face this unthinkable and senseless loss.”
Attorney Craig Futterman of the University of Chicago reviewed the footage and criticized Grayson’s actions, stating that there was no reasonable threat that justified the use of lethal force. “The officer immediately grabbed his gun, and it escalated it went from zero to 100 like that,” Futterman said.
As the community mourns and demands justice, the case continues to unfold, with many calling for systemic changes to prevent such tragedies in the future.