By Connie Martinez and Gabrielle Biederman
SPRINGFIELD, IL – Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman, was fatally shot July 6 by a Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy after Massey called 911 for help—now President Joe Biden has released a statement showcasing his deepest condolences, and revealing, “Our fundamental commitment to justice is at stake.”
As stated by CNN, “The 36-minute video released via the Illinois State Police includes body-camera footage from each of the two Sangamon County sheriff’s deputies who responded to Massey’s house after midnight on July 6 after Massey called 911 to report a possible prowler at her home in Springfield.”
Footage of the officers’ body cams revealed by CNN shows Sean Grayson was the deputy behind the shots fired at Massey after deliberately telling Massey “I’ll shoot you in the f**king face.”
CNN reported “Sean Grayson and another deputy speak calmly with Massey in her home when she goes to the stove to turn off a pot of boiling water. She then picks up the pot and the other deputy steps back, ‘away from your hot steaming water,’ he says.”
The deputy who said he would shoot at Massey, added CNN, “draws his firearm and points it at her, and she ducks and says, ‘I’m sorry’ while lifting the pot, the video shows.”
The bodycam shows Massey putting her hand up in front of her as she’s saying “sorry” in hopes of protecting herself, added CNN, noting two weeks after the murder of Massey, the footage has been released and Grayson was charged with murder.
An ABC article reveals Massey’s family attorney, Ben Crump stated, “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,”
Following this incident, President Biden on July 22 said, “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.”
Biden acknowledged, “I commend the swift actions that were taken by the Springfield State’s Attorney’s office.”
Biden added, “Sonya’s family deserves justice. I am heartbroken for her children and her entire family as they face this unthinkable and senseless loss. 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.”
Pamela Marshall, the co-director of A New Way of Life Reentry Project, released a statement expressing the gravity of this situation and her solidarity with those who have been impacted by similar incidents.
According to the statement, Massey called the police to report a suspected burglar in her home. At 1 a.m. that day, two police officers responded to the call and came to her home. Upon opening the door for the officers, Massey was reported to have said, “Don’t hurt me.”
Marshall notes body cam footage shows Massey looking for her identification to show the police when an officer tells Massey to remove a pot from her stove. The footage then shows Deputy Grayson beginning to panic as Massey removes the pot and he shoots Massey three times. One of the shots was to her head causing the 36-year-old woman to be killed.
The footage discussed in the statement also reveals, claims Marshall, Deputy Grayson told his partner not to get the medical kit to help Massey following the shooting.
Marshall said that “the police are hired to serve and protect. Sonya Massey sought protection yet the system failed her.”
Marshall added, “Black women and men are dying at the hands of law enforcement in their own homes. There is a systemic issue of police violence in the United States and the police must be held accountable for the unjust killings of Black people.”
Susan Burton, the founder of A New Way of Life, charged that “this is Exhibit A in why communities of color don’t trust police and why we look to create other ways to improve safety in our neighborhoods. How backwards is a world where trained cops are allowed to panic with a weapon in their hands but civilians must remain calm with a gun in their face?”
