Illinois woman killed in police-involved shooting honored at funeral

(SPRINGFIELD, Ill.) — A funeral was held Friday for Sonya Massey, the Springfield, Illinois woman who died after a police officer shot her after she called 911 to report a possible intruder, according to authorities.

Sean Grayson, the officer involved in the shooting who has since been fired, has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a firearm and governmental misconduct, according to a statement from Sangamon County District Attorney John Milhiser.

Grayson pleaded not guilty and was denied parole.

“Today is about peace, today is about my big sister. It’s not about that man rotting in jail, it’s about my big sister,” said Massey’s younger sister, Breeanna Toles. “As a baby sister, I look back on our text messages. She’s like, ‘I love you, baby sister.’ I cherish those memories. I wish all my sisters could be in the room today.”

The Sangamon County District Attorney’s Office has not yet released the bodycam footage of the incident, which is expected to happen on Monday, July 22.

“I know people want to see the video, I know people want to talk about the video; I just ask that if you do, do it out of respect for us,” Toles said. “It’s not a video you want to see. My dad can’t even sleep.”

Two deputies were dispatched to a home in Springfield, Illinois, around 12:50 a.m. on July 6 to investigate a possible burglary, according to a sheriff’s office statement obtained by ABC News.

“At approximately 1:21 a.m., officers reported shots fired, resulting in a female being struck by gunfire,” the sheriff’s statement said. “Officers immediately administered first aid until paramedics arrived. The female was taken to St. John’s Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. No officers were injured during the incident.”

The shooting was investigated for use of deadly force by the Illinois State Police (ISP) at the request of the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office. After an investigation and through review of body camera footage, Milhiser found that Grayson was not justified in his use of deadly force.

According to charging documents filed in Sangamon County Superior Court, Grayson allegedly shot Massey in the face after the officer “aggressively yelled” at her to put down a pot of boiling water and she threw it on a couch. Grayson then allegedly discouraged his partner from getting a first aid kit to help Massey because he allegedly believed her injuries were too serious to revive, prosecutors said. According to court documents, Massey was “calm, perhaps unwell, not aggressive” at the time officers responded to her call for help.

According to the family’s attorney, Ben Crump, Massey had mental health issues.

The other deputy, who was not named, went to render aid anyway and stayed with Massey until paramedics arrived, according to charging documents. Grayson did not attempt to render aid, the documents said.

Grayson did not activate his body camera until after the shooting, the complaint said. The other officer activated his camera when he arrived at the scene, the charging documents said.

Grayson has held six different police jobs in the past four years, according to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. The longest job he’s held was a year. It’s unclear why he changed jobs during that time.

Massey’s father, James Wilburn, brought up the former deputy sheriff’s employment history at the funeral and called on Illinois lawmakers in attendance to reform the hiring process for police officers and deputies. It’s unclear why he changed jobs during that time.

“There were all these red flags and yet they still made him a deputy in this county,” Wilburn said. “State senator, introduce the bill tomorrow. You can call it the Sonya Massey bill.”

Crump called for justice at the funeral.

“We come to fight for justice for Sonya Massey,” he said, “We say to Deputy Sean Grayson, until we get justice, we rebuke you in the name of Jesus. We say to the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department, until we get justice, we rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”

“I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” was one of the last things Massey said before Grayson shot her, Crump said.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker issued a statement saying Massey was entitled to the protection she had requested from police.

“My heart breaks for Sonya’s children, for her family and friends, and for everyone who knew and loved her, and I am outraged that yet another innocent black woman has lost her life at the hands of a police officer,” Pritzker said in his statement.

Grayson’s attorney, Dan Fultz, declined to comment.

ABC News’ Emily Chang contributed to this report.