An autopsy report released by an Illinois coroner Friday showed Sonya Massey, a mother of two who was fatally shot by a sheriff’s deputy in her home earlier this month, died from a gunshot wound to the head.
The autopsy report released by the Sangamon County Corner’s office on July 26 said a bullet struck Massey beneath the left eye and exited through the base of her skull.
“Based on the information available to me and on the autopsy findings, it is my opinion that Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old black woman, died as the result of a gunshot wound to the head,” the report said. It was signed by Dr. Nathaniel Patterson, a forensic pathologist.
Massey also showed signs of minor blunt force injuries on her right leg, the report said.
The autopsy results came four days after Illinois State Police released a chilling body camera video showing Massey being fatally gunned down in her home by a police deputy who had responded to her 911 call.
Massey, 36, called police for help from her home in Springfield at about 1 a.m. on July 6, saying she thought she heard an intruder outside, the Illinois State Police said.
Former Sangamon County Deputy Sean Grayson has been charged with first-degree murder for allegedly shooting Massey in the face while responding to the call with another deputy, Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser said.
In the 36-minute body camera video released on July 22, Massey is seen in her bathrobe telling the deputies she “heard somebody outside.”
A deputy identified by prosecutors as Grayson tells her they checked her backyard. As they chat, Massey at times appears confused. Her family said at a press conference on July 22 alongside civil rights attorney Ben Crump that she suffered from mental health issues.
After speaking on her stoop, the deputies and Massey enter her home.
After a discussion about her ID, Massey walks into her kitchen and picks up what appears to be a pot of boiling water from her stove.
“Where you are going?” she asks the deputies.
“Away from your hot, steaming water,” Grayson responds.
“I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” she says twice.
“You better f— not, I swear to God, I’ll f—- shoot you right in your f—— face,” Grayson responds, drawing his gun.
“OK, I’m sorry!” Massey responds, before ducking behind the counter.
The second deputy also draws his gun, and Grayson yells “Drop the f— pot!” repeatedly before three shots are heard, according to the bodycam footage.
In the video, moments after the shooting, Grayson speaks to the second deputy, who hasn’t been identified.
“I’m not taking hot boiling water to the f—- face,” Grayson says.
Grayson was fired from his job with the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department and has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct, Milhiser said.
“He walked around the counter to get a better shot,” Crump said at the news conference. “If you don’t fear for your life, you don’t walk towards the person.”
Grayson pleaded not guilty to the charges last week, his attorney told NBC News.
His attorney declined comment after the release of the body camera footage.
Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell released a statement on Facebook following the release of the footage.
“Sonya Massey lost her life due to an unjustifiable and reckless decision by former Deputy Sean Grayson,” the statement said. “Grayson had other options available that he should have used. His actions were inexcusable and do not reflect the values or training of our office.
“He will now face judgment by the criminal justice system and will never again work in law enforcement.”
As news of the video’s release spread on Tuesday, several notable figures spoke out to condemn the shooting.
In a statement on Twitter, Vice President Kamala Harris called the video “disturbing,” saying, “Sonya Massey deserved to be safe.”
“The disturbing footage released yesterday confirms what we know from the lived experiences of so many — we have much work to do to ensure that our justice system fully lives up to its name,” Harris said.
Sonya Massey deserved to be safe.
The disturbing footage released yesterday confirms what we know from the lived experiences of so many — we have much work to do to ensure that our justice system fully lives up to its name.
President Biden and I call on Congress to pass the…
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) July 23, 2024
Pop star Solange Knowles noted that when Massey opened the door to deputies, she told them, “Don’t hurt me.”
first words Sonya Massey said at her front door were “don’t hurt me”
she was told “why would we hurt you, you called us”
when have those words meant anything when your black and woman in this country
when do those words protect you from not being murdered in your kitchen,…
— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) July 23, 2024
President Joe Biden also issued a statement on July 22 saying Massey’s death “reminds us that all too often Black Americans face fears for their safety in ways many of the rest of us do not.”
“Sonya’s family deserves justice,” he added.
Sonya Massey, a beloved mother, friend, daughter, and young Black woman, should be alive today.
Sonya’s death at the hands of a police officer reminds us that all too often Black Americans face fears for their safety in ways many of the rest of us do not.
— President Biden (@POTUS) July 22, 2024
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker also released a statement condemning the shooting, saying Massey was “gunned down by an officer of the law.”
“My heart breaks for Sonya’s children, for her family and friends and for all who knew and loved her, and I am enraged that another innocent Black woman had her life taken from her at the hands of a police officer,” Pritzker said.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
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