Sonya Massey, a Black woman, was fatally shot by a sheriff’s deputy, Sean P. Grayson, in her home in Springfield, Illinois. Massey was holding a pot of water when Grayson shot her in the face while responding to her call about a possible intruder. Grayson has been charged with Massey’s murder and pleaded not guilty. The chaotic body camera footage of the incident has caused national outrage, with her family stating that Massey had an encounter with police a day before she was shot.
On July 6, Grayson aggressively confronted Massey, threatening to shoot her before firing three shots, hitting her once in the face. Massey was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. The case was referred to the Illinois State Police for an independent investigation. The autopsy revealed that the bullet entered beneath Massey’s left eye and exited through her upper neck.
Following the incident, civil rights attorney Ben Crump has been retained by Massey’s family, and there have been protests demanding transparency in the case. Grayson was indicted on five counts, including first-degree murder, and was terminated from his position as a deputy. The body camera footage was released on July 22, leading to more protests and calls for justice.
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the case, and a GoFundMe page has been set up for the Massey family. Massey’s funeral was held on July 19, with Crump comparing the footage to the brutality seen in the case of Emmett Till.
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