USA Today — Local officials, Illinois lawmakers and President Joe Biden have called the shooting of Sonya Massey “unthinkable, senseless” and “shocking, horrifying and heartbreaking” after video of the Black woman’s deadly encounter with a white deputy was publicly released Monday afternoon.
The 36-minute bodycam footage shows the rapid escalation that led Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy Sean P. Grayson to shoot Massey, 36, inside her home in Springfield, Illinois.
Grayson and another deputy responded to Massey’s house on July 6 after she called 911 to report a possible intruder. In the body camera video, Grayson can be heard yelling at Massey over moving a pot of boiling water from the stove to the sink. He then threatens to shoot her in the face and screams at her to drop the pot. The video shows Massey ducking before Grayson fires at her three times, including a fatal shot to the head.
Grayson, 30, of Riverton, has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery and official misconduct. He remains in custody without bail.
Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register
The graphic video was released Monday on Illinois State Police’s YouTube channel and has sparked national outrage. Local, state and federal officials have commented on the deadly encounter, which has sparked a number of protests, including one that drew about 200 people to the Springfield NAACP building Wednesday afternoon.
Biden said he and first lady Jill Biden “mourn with the rest of the country and our prayers are with Sonya’s family, loved ones, and community during this devastating time.”
“Sonya’s family deserves justice,” Biden added. “I am heartbroken for her children and her entire family as they face this unthinkable and senseless loss.”
Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Ill., said she was “shocked, horrified and heartbroken” by the footage and said the incident was “an act of senseless and unjustifiable violence − and it is an affront to our humanity.”
Other Illinois lawmakers weighed in. State Sen. Doris Turner said that “nothing could prepare our community to see such a blatant disregard for human life” and urged people to come together “to seek justice and do all we can to prevent another Black man or woman from being unjustly killed.”
State Sen. Steve McClure said that he was “shocked and horrified” by the footage and that even during his years as a prosecutor “I never saw anything like this.”
“My heart goes out to Sonya and her family, who will remain in my thoughts and prayers,” he said. “The Deputy who committed this murder is exactly where he belongs, in jail.“
Illinois State Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued a statement in response to the body camera footage, calling it “horrific.”
“I offer my deepest sympathy to Sonya Massey’s family as they relive a moment no family should experience,” Raoul said. “As the community reacts to the release of the footage, I urge calm as this matter works its way through the criminal justice system.”
Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher said that “there is no excuse for this violent act” and thanked the state police and Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office “for swiftly investigating this event and taking the necessary actions to seek justice for Sonya.”
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said, “the killing of Sonya Massey is inexcusable, disgraceful and an abhorrent disregard of basic humanity.”
“Sonya’s murder is a heartbreaking injustice to her, her loved ones and all who see themselves represented in her story. She was a mother, daughter and a human being whose memory will not be forgotten.”
At Massey’s funeral on Friday, days before the body camera footage was released, prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump said the video would “shock the conscience of America like the pictures of Emmett Till after he was lynched.” The 1955 lynching of the 14-year-old in Mississippi helped galvanize the Civil Rights Movement.
Crump added that like the George Floyd video was a catalyst for the Black community in the 2020 presidential election, the Massey video is going to be “similarly impactful” on the 2024 election.
“It is that senseless, that unnecessary, that unjustifiable, that unconstitutional,” Crump said. “This video is tragic in every sense.”
