Illinois officials and President Joe Biden spoke after bodycam video of the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey was released by Illinois State Police Monday afternoon. The video shows the chaotic scene after a sheriff’s deputy shot Massey in the face during a tense moment over a pot of water in her home.
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 being held in the Sangamon County Jail while he awaits trial.
“(The video) is going to shock the conscience of America. It is that senseless, that unnecessary, that unjustifiable, that unconstitutional,” civil rights attorney Ben Crump said. “This sheriff’s deputy was twice as large as Sonya. Why would you have to use a gun to shoot her in the head?”
Authorities said Massey, who is Black, called 911 in the early morning hours on Saturday, July 6, to report a suspected prowler outside her house in Springfield, Illinois.
Timeline of bodycam footage of Sonya Massey’s fatal shooting
First, body cam video shows the deputies searching Massey’s property and taking special interest in a car with broken windows. The deputies knock at least five times and Massey comes to the door. (Warning: Linked video contains violent and sensitive content.)
Massey mumbles something to Grayson, who responds: “Why would we hurt you? You called us.”
Grayson, who is White, talks further to Massey at her door and tells her nobody was found near her house. The other deputy’s body cam is the one running.
This conversation wraps up about a minute later, as the deputies ask more about the car.
The deputy whose body camera is running is then seen examining the car in Massey’s driveway as fireworks go off in the distance that July 4th weekend. That second deputy then enters the house, with Grayson already inside.
In the house, Massey is first seen sitting on her couch, volunteering to give the deputies some paperwork and looking for her ID. Grayson then notices a pot on the stove and gives Massey permission to move it, saying they don’t need a fire in the house.
The video then shows Massey turning off the flame on the stove and picking up the pot.
“Where are you going?” Massey is heard saying.
“Away from your hot, steaming water,” Grayson says.
“Away from my hot steaming water?” Massey seems to say in the video. “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus. I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”
“You’d better f***ing not. I swear to God, I’ll f***ing shoot you right in your f***ing face,” Grayson says.
He then raises his gun, described as a 9mm pistol, and yells at Massey to “drop the f***ing pot!”
Massey is seen apologizing and ducking for cover, at which point Grayson shoots her, prosecutors said. Three shots are heard in the video.
Grayson did not activate his body camera until after firing the shots, Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser contends. His body camera video—seen at the end of the clip released by state police—shows his vantage point as he raises his weapon.
After the shooting, Grayson allegedly advised his partner not to give medical aid to Massey because of the severity of her injuries, according to court documents detailing the incident. The other deputy provided emergency assistance and stayed with Massey until medical professionals arrived.
On Monday afternoon, Massey’s father, James Wilburn, talked about seeing the video of what happened.
“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,” said James Wilburn. “I saw this happen in the George Floyd matter. I saw this happen in the Breonna Taylor matter, and I had to say to God, ‘Why me? Why my child?'”
In a timeline displayed before the body cam video, state police said they were notified of the shooting within an hour. The body cam footage was presented to a grand jury in Sangamon County on Wednesday, July 17, and the grand jury returned an indictment against Grayson that same day, prosecutors said.
An arrest warrant was also issued for Grayson this past Wednesday, and he was taken into custody.
Grayson was also fired last week.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul released this statement:
“The body camera footage is horrific, and I offer my deepest sympathy to Sonya Massey’s family as they relive a moment no family should experience. As the community reacts to the release of the footage, I urge calm as this matter works its way through the criminal justice system.
“In Illinois we have made sure that the law mandates independent investigations after officer involved shootings. In this matter it appears that the investigation by the Illinois State Police and the subsequent referral to the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s office have complied with the letter and spirit of the law by providing the appropriate transparency and moving toward accountability.”
Mr. Biden, who on Sunday announced he would not seek reelection in the 2024 presidential race, issued the following statement after the release of the bodycam:
“Sonya Massey, a beloved mother, friend, daughter, and young Black woman, should be alive today. Sonya called the police because she was concerned about a potential intruder. When we call for help, all of us as Americans – regardless of who we are or where we live – should be able to do so without fearing for our lives. Sonya’s death at the hands of a responding officer reminds us that all too often Black Americans face fears for their safety in ways many of the rest of us do not.
“Sonya’s family deserves justice. I am heartbroken for her children and her entire family as they face this unthinkable and senseless loss. Jill and I mourn with the rest of the country and our prayers are with Sonya’s family, loved ones, and community during this devastating time.
“I commend the swift actions that were taken by the Springfield State’s Attorney’s office. While we wait for the case to be prosecuted, let us pray to comfort the grieving. Congress must pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act now. Our fundamental commitment to justice is at stake.”
