President Joe Biden said Massey’s killing “reminds us that all too often Black Americans face fears for their safety in ways many of the rest of us do not”
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Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty; facebook
Disturbing new body cam footage shows the police shooting of Sonya Massey, a Black Illinois woman who was fatally shot by a police officer after calling 911 because she feared an intruder was in her home.
After the release of the footage, President Joe Biden released a statement decrying Massey’s killing and commending the decision by the Springfield State’s Attorney’s office to charge Sean Grayson, a former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy, with murder.
The footage, released by Illinois State Police on Monday, July 22 and obtained by The New York Times, showed two deputies arriving at Massey’s home on the morning of July 6. The deputies appeared to search the front of her home and backyard before knocking on Massey’s door and following her inside.
They then appeared to ask Massey for her identification as she sat on a sofa before she got up to remove a pot of hot water from the stove. When she did, she told the deputies, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” according to The Times.
Grayson responded that she “better not” and used some expletives, before warning her that he would shoot her in her face, according to the outlet. Within a couple of seconds he took out his gun and ordered the woman to drop the pot she was holding before firing two shots at her. He then took out his radio and reported a woman with a gunshot wound to her head.
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Sangamon County Jail
A photo of Sean Grayson provided by the Sangamon County Jail.
The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release at the time that Massey was later pronounced dead at St. John’s Hospital.
Grayson was indicted by the Sangamon County State’s Attorney General’s Office on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct. The Attorney’s Office alleged to the NYT in a statement following the release of the footage that evidence showed Grayson had not been “justified in his use of deadly force.”
The Sangamon County State’s Attorney General’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Biden said in his statement that Massey “should be alive today” and stated that all Americans should be able to call for help “without fearing for our lives.” He continued, “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.”
The president went on to say he was “heartbroken” for Massey’s “children and her entire family” for this “unthinkable and senseless loss,” adding that her family “deserves justice.”
“I commend the swift actions that were taken by the Springfield State’s Attorney’s office. While we wait for the case to be prosecuted, let us pray to comfort the grieving,” Biden said, while urging Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which is a bill aimed at curbing police misconduct.
Donna Massey mourns the loss of her daughter, Sonya Massey, who was fatally shot in her home on July 6.” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/HKv.XbPpShaWUXEqJ5lSUg–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY1OQ–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/people_218/8b35d3b961533f7fe52715505dcde82d” class=”caas-img”>
Thomas J. Turney/The State Journal-Register/USA TODAY NETWORK
Donna Massey mourns the loss of her daughter, Sonya Massey, who was fatally shot in her home on July 6.
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The Massey family’s lawyer Ben Crump also described the incident as “heinous” in a press conference on Monday, July 22, adding, “Until we get justice for Sonya Massey, we rebuke this discriminatory justice system in the name of Jesus.”
The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on social media on the same day that Grayson’s “actions were inexcusable and do not reflect the values or training of our office.”
“Sonya Massey lost her life due to an unjustifiable and reckless decision by former Deputy Sean Grayson,” Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell said, noting that Grayson had “other options available that he should have used.”
“This incident does not reflect the values or actions of our law enforcement community,” he continued. “It was a tragic decision made by an individual who had the training, tools, and experience to know better. We are committed to upholding a standard that prevents such tragedies from occurring in the future.”
Grayson pleaded not guilty and is being held without bond at the Menard County Detention Facility, according to the Washington Post.
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