Deputy shoots unarmed black woman in her home

Authorities in Illinois have released disturbing body camera footage showing the moments leading up to a white sheriff’s deputy fatally shooting an unarmed 36-year-old black woman in her own home after she called 911 to report a possible break-in outside her home.

As a result of the fatal incident, Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson was fired and subsequently charged with first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a firearm, and government misconduct in the killing of Sonya Massey.

Grayson has pleaded not guilty and is currently being held without bail in the Sangamon County Jail.

The footage of the July 6 shooting was released Monday afternoon by the Attorney General’s Office and posted to YouTube by the Illinois State Police (the video posted by ISP prevents third parties from embedding the footage).

In the footage, Grayson and another officer arrive at Massey’s home around 1 a.m. and spend several minutes looking around the property and talking to Massey on her porch before following her inside. Massey speaks mostly to Grayson, but seems somewhat reluctant to give the officers any information, but quickly gives them her last name after Grayson says he needs it for his report and repeats, “You’re not in any trouble.”

Massey then says she wants to show the officers her “papers,” but Grayson asks for her ID, saying, “A driver’s license will do and I’ll be done with you.”

As she searches for the ID, Grayson appears to point to the kitchen where a pot of water is on the stove and says, “We don’t need a fire in here.” Massey then goes into the kitchen, grabs two oven mitts and removes the pot from the stove. As she does so, both officers appear to step back.

“Where are you going?” asks Massey.

“Away from your hot, steaming water,” Grayson replies with a laugh.

Massey speaks slowly and casually and then says, “Away from the hot steaming water? Oh, I will rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”

Grayson immediately puts his hand on his gun and screams, “You better not do that. I swear to God I’m going to shoot you right in your f—ing face.”

Before Massey can react, Grayson pulls out his gun and points it directly at Massey. She immediately screams, “I’m sorry,” and appears to instinctively fall to the ground with her hands up before disappearing from view. Grayson and the other officer can then be heard yelling at her to “drop the f—ing pot,” before Grayson shoots her three times, hitting her at least once in the face.

Grayson didn’t turn on his bodycam until after he shot Massey.

When the other officer says he’s going to get his first aid kit, Grayson replies, “She’s done. You can go get it, but this is a headshot.”

Grayson, who appears to have halved the distance between him and Massey, points out to the other officer that the water from the pot Massey was holding “came right up to our feet.”

“You know, what else are we going to do,” Grayson says to the officer as he stands just off the kitchen tiles. “I’m not going to pour boiling hot water on my face and it’s already on us.”

Grayson then goes to get the first aid kit while his partner Massey helps, saying, “She’s still gasping,” and at one point wondering out loud what’s taking so long. Massey was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.

When other authorities arrive on the scene, Grayson tells them that Massey “had boiling water and came at me with boiling water,” adding, “She said she would rebuke me in the name of Jesus and came at me with boiling water.”

An expert on use of force who reviewed all available footage concluded that Grayson was not justified in using deadly force against Massey.

Following the video’s release, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul immediately released a statement describing the encounter as “horrific.”

“The body camera footage is horrific and I offer my deepest condolences to Sonya Massey’s family as they relive a moment that no family should have to endure. As the community reacts to the release of the footage, I urge calm as this case makes its way through the criminal justice system,” Raoul said. “In Illinois, we have worked to ensure that the law requires independent investigations into officer-involved shootings. In this case, it appears that the Illinois State Police investigation and subsequent referral to the Sangamon County District Attorney’s Office adhered to the letter and spirit of the law by providing appropriate transparency and seeking accountability.”