Sonya Massey’s Funeral Held Amid New Details About Cop Charged With Murdering Black Woman
The funeral for a Black woman in Illinois who was killed by police in her own home after she called 911 to report an intruder was set to take place on Friday amid new damning revelations about the shooting and its immediate aftermath.
Sonya Massey, 36, is expected to be laid to rest following services at a funeral home in Springfield, where on July 6 she was shot in the head by now-fired Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson, 30, who was charged Wednesday with murder.
Sonya Massey, 36 years old, called the police because she thought someone was trying to break into her house.
They shot and killed her. https://t.co/EUEhNYbCvi pic.twitter.com/2L9B1RSTPh
— Courtney Enlow (@courtenlow) July 10, 2024
What happened to Sonya Massey?
The circumstances of the shooting are being slowly revealed, including a new report that Grayson “discouraged” fellow officers from rendering medical aid to Massey following the shooting, according to NBC News. That report contradicts previous claims to the contrary from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office.
The shooting reportedly stemmed from “a dispute” between Massey and Grayson “over a pot of steaming water in the victim’s home,” NBC News reported.
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According to an Illinois State Police summary of the shooting, deputies found a car at Massey’s home that appeared to have been broken into. After they knocked on her door, the deputies found her “distraught and not thinking clearly” and entered her home, the summary says.
The exchange over the pot came after Grayson motioned to a container, which was on the stove in Massey’s kitchen, according to the summary. Massey turned off the burner, picked up the pot, carried it to the sink and turned on the faucet, the summary says.
Grayson was roughly 10 feet from Massey, who asked the deputies what they were doing.
“Getting away from your hot, steaming water,” Grayson responded, according to the summary.
“I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” Massey said twice, the summary says.
Grayson responded, “I swear to God. I will shoot you right in your f—— face,” according to the summary.
Grayson responded by aiming his gun at Massey, who picked up the pot of water and threw it on furniture — not at Grayson — the report says.
That’s when Grayson shot at Massey three times, hitting her once in the face, the report says.
Grayson allegedly told his fellow officers there was no need to try to help Massey because he had shot her in the head and she had died already.
The Illinois State Police determined Grayson was well within his rights to aim his gun at Massey. However, Grayson was also found to have not tried to de-escalate the situation, which made the shooting unjustifiable and an action that was not “in accordance with” Sangamon County Sheriff’s “standards.”
These new details provide context that was missing from early reports from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office and the Illinois State Police.
Grayson, who was charged with three counts of murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct, is being held without bail.
Grayson’s arrest and criminal indictments were hailed by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Massey’s family.
“Today marks an important milestone in the pursuit of justice for Sonya Massey’s family. While nothing can undo the heinous actions of this officer, we hope the scales of justice will continue to hold him accountable and we will demand transparency at every step,” civil rights attorney Ben Crump said in a statement sent to NewsOne. “This news is a step toward justice for Sonya’s loved ones, especially her children, who have endured unimaginable pain and suffering since they were notified of this tragedy. We remain committed to uncovering the truth of what happened and identifying the failures that allowed this tragic death to occur.”
The Illinois Times reported that Grayson is not being held at the Sangamon County Jail and that it’s unclear where he is.
Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser said that the bodycam video footage from the shooting would be released on Monday. “Nothing has been redacted except for the blurring of certain images, which was done out of respect for Ms. Massey and her family,” Milhiser said of the bodycam video footage.
Sean Grayson. | Source: Sangamon County Jail
Sonya Massey’s funeral
Massey’s funeral is scheduled to be held at 10 a.m. local time at Ruby Funeral Services in Springfield, according to a press release from Crump.
Crump is expected to deliver a call to justice following Massey’s police killing.
The trend of police killing Black people in their own homes
Massey’s death marks the latest instance of police killing a Black person in their own home.
Most recently, a deputy in Florida shot and killed Senior Airman Roger Fortson after responding to what turned out to be a false report of an unspecified disturbance in his apartment. Fortson, 23, was shot in his own apartment on May 3 within seconds of opening his front door after Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Deputy Eddie Duran responded aggressively to a report of a domestic “disturbance” that a witness claims never existed at that location.
Less than a week after Fortson was killed, the initial shooting narrative provided by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office was definitively undermined by that witness – Fortson’s girlfriend – who said the police responded to the wrong apartment.
Bodycam video footage shows Duran banging loudly on an apartment door. When Fortson – possibly suspecting an intruder – answered the door while brandishing a legally owned gun that was facing down, Duran immediately opened fire and shot the young Airman six times.
It would be one full month before Duran was fired. However, as of Friday, there have been no criminal charges brought in the shooting.
Other notable cases of the police shooting and killing Black people in their own homes include Botham Jean, who died after an off-duty Dallas cop mistook his apartment for hers and incorrectly suspected him as an intruder; Atatiana Jefferson, who was shot through her own bedroom window by a Fort Worth police officer who didn’t identify himself or give a warning; and Breonna Taylor, who was killed in a hail of bullets after police in Louisville executed a no-knock warrant in search of a suspect who was already in custody.
The officers who killed Jean and Jefferson were each subsequently charged with and convicted of murder. However, none of the police officers involved in Taylor’s death have been held accountable.
This is America.
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