Illinois Police Bodycam Footage Reveals Fatal Shooting of Woman in Her Home
Illinois authorities have released bodycam footage capturing the tumultuous events leading up to the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, 36, who had dialed 911 to report a suspected intruder in her home. The incident, which occurred over the Independence Day weekend, has resulted in criminal charges against one of the responding officers and sparked condemnation from President Joe Biden.
Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson has been dismissed from the force and charged with murder and official misconduct. Grayson has entered a plea of not guilty to these charges.
On Monday, Illinois State Police unveiled the bodycam footage, which shows officers shouting at Massey to put down a pot of boiling water while they aimed their firearms at her. The early morning incident on July 6 started when Massey called police to her Springfield residence, located 200 miles south of Chicago, fearing an intruder had broken in.
When deputies arrived, they followed Massey into her home as she searched for her identification. Upon noticing a pot on the stove, Grayson gestured towards it, remarking, “We don’t need a fire while we’re here.” Massey then moved to the stove to remove the pot, and she and Grayson shared a brief laugh about the “steaming hot water” before she exclaimed, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”
Grayson’s demeanor quickly changed as he responded, “You better [expletive] not or I swear to God I’ll [expletive] shoot you in your [expletive] face.” He then drew his weapon and demanded she drop the pot. Massey, raising her hands, apologized, saying, “OK, I’m sorry,” before Grayson fired.
Following the shooting, Grayson is heard saying, “What else do we do? I’m not taking hot [expletive] boiling water to the [expletive] face.”
The Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office declared that Grayson’s use of force was unjustified. President Biden expressed his sorrow in a statement, saying he was “heartbroken” for Massey’s family. He emphasized that “Sonya Massey, a beloved mother, friend, daughter, and young Black woman, should be alive today,” and highlighted the disproportionate fears for safety faced by Black Americans.
Ms. Massey’s family, represented by lawyer Benjamin Crump, praised the swift prosecutorial action against Grayson. Crump noted that the footage “is going to shock the conscience of America,” calling the incident “senseless, unnecessary, unjustifiable, and unconstitutional.”
