BWorn camera footage shared by the Illinois State Police on Monday showed a police officer shooting a Black woman in her home after she had called 911 to report an intruder.
The harrowing video, released Monday afternoon, shows former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson, 30, and another deputy knocking on 36-year-old Sonya Massey’s door after she called the police to report a “murderer”, early in the morning. hours of July 6th.
In the video, Massey allows Grayson and another deputy, whom authorities have not named, into his Springfield home. The two deputies can be seen asking Massey for his name and identification. At one point in the video, Grayson appears to point his finger at Massey’s kitchen, where a pot of boiling water is on the stove. Massey then moves to grab the pan from the stove, while one of the officers can be heard saying, “We don’t need a fire while we’re here.”
Massey then says, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” to which Grayson says, “You better not, I swear to God. I’m going to shoot you right in your face.
Massey immediately apologizes, and Grayson pulls out his gun and points it at her, telling her to “drop the fucking pot.” Massey squats, and Grayson then fires three shots, one of which struck Massey, authorities previously said.
The other deputy can be heard saying in the footage that he was going to retrieve a medical kit from his vehicle. But in the video, Grayson tells him not to do that because Massey was shot in the head. Grayson didn’t put on his body camera until after the shooting, while the other officer’s body camera recorded the entire encounter.
The other deputy could be seen rendering aid to Massey until an ambulance arrived. Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon said in a Facebook post on July 8 that preliminary results of an autopsy reveal that Massey died of a gunshot wound.
The footage was released just days after Grayson was arraigned in Sangamon County Circuit Court on three counts of first-degree murder, as well as one count of aggravated assault with a firearm and one count of official misconduct, according to court records. Grayson has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Massey’s family hired renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who said at Massey’s funeral on Friday that the footage would show a crime comparable to the Mississippi lynching of Chicago teenager Emmett Till, the killing of Laquan McDonald by a Chicago police officer and the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.
See more information: Milwaukee Police refer four counts of capital murder in death of D’Vontaye Mitchell
The Illinois State Police investigated the shooting and Grayson was subsequently fired from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, the office announced Wednesday. The office also apologized to Massey’s family and friends, calling the shooting a “tragic incident.”
“It is clear that the deputy did not act as trained or in accordance with our standards,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. Facebook post. “The actions taken by Deputy Grayson do not reflect the values and training of the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office or law enforcement as a whole.”
Massey’s funeral was held Friday at Ruby Funeral Services and Chapel in Springfield.
“Today is about peace, today is about my big sister. This isn’t about that man who’s going to rot in prison, this is about my older sister,” said Massey’s younger sister, Breeanna Toles. he said in service.
Massey’s family watched the body camera footage for the first time on Wednesday. Massey’s death gained national attention and sparked protests in Springfield. On Wednesday, around 200 people gathered at the Springfield NAACP building to express solidarity with Massey and his family.
Grayson was remanded into the custody of the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office pending trial, according to court records. His next hearing is scheduled for August 26.
President Joe Biden released a statement Monday saying he was “heartbroken” for Massey’s family and that his family “deserves justice.”
“Sonya Massey, a beloved mother, friend, daughter and young black woman, should be alive today,” the president said. “When we ask 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 police officer reminds us that Black Americans often face fears for their safety in ways that many of us do not.”
Crump will hold a press conference following the release of the footage on Monday at 4:45 a.m. EST.
This is developing news.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
