A terrifying body camera video has surfaced, capturing the instant a white sheriff’s officer shot a Black lady in the face at her residence after she dialed 911 for assistance.
In the wee hours of July 6, Sonya Massey, 36, was shot and killed in her Springfield, Illinois, home by deputies who had been called in regarding a possible prowler.
Former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson is seen ranting at Massey at a tense moment as she lifts a pot of boiling water off the burner in the body cam footage that the Illinois State Police released on Monday.
Grayson points his pistol at her three times as he makes a threat to shoot her. Massey ducks and then stands up momentarily.
On Thursday, Grayson, 30, was charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct pertaining to Massey’s demise. On Thursday, he made his first court appearance and entered a not guilty plea. Without bond, he is being detained at the Sangamon County Jail.
The prosecution claims that after Grayson and his companion arrived at Massey’s house, Grayson let her move a pot of boiling water and then grabbed a 9mm pistol and “aggressively yelled” at her as she placed it on a counter.
Prosecutors alleged that she released her grip on the pot, knelt down beneath a row of cabinets, and apologized before Grayson pulled out his service gun and shot her in the face.
According to John Milhiser, the state’s attorney for Sangamon County, Grayson did not turn on his body camera until after firing the bullets. Based on the seriousness of Massey’s injuries, he then allegedly encouraged his colleague not to provide medical attention, according to court documents that describe the incident. The other deputy helped with the issue and remained with Massey until help arrived.
“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,” Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul stated. “As the community reacts to the release of the footage, I urge calm as this matter works its way through the criminal justice system.”
Grayson lost his job last week.
Should he be found guilty, his prison terms could range from 45 years to life for murder, 6 to 30 years for violence, and 2 to 5 years for misbehavior. Daniel Fultz, his attorney, declined to comment on Monday.
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Following Massey’s passing, demonstrations demanding justice in the matter were held. At her burial, Massey’s father, James Wilburn, echoed that call, expressing his encouragement at the Illinois State Police’s and Milhiser’s prompt action following their investigation of the incident.
“In 10 days, they convened a grand jury. They completed their investigation. They arrested, they got him fired,” Wilburn said. “That’s unheard of.”
