Video of Illinois police officer shooting black woman sparks outrage

SPRINGFIELD: Illinois State Police released video Monday of a sheriff’s deputy fatally shooting a woman in her home this month, detailing a shooting that some have compared to high-profile cases of excessive force by police against black Americans.

Sean Grayson, a white officer who was fired from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office last week and has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder, fired three shots at the woman, Sonya Massey, according to the criminal complaint. He also faces one count of aggravated assault and one count of official misconduct.

“Sonya’s death at the hands of a police officer reminds us that Black Americans too often face fear for their safety in ways that many of us do not,” President Joe Biden said in a statement Monday.

“I commend the actions of the Springfield District Attorney’s Office. As we wait for the case to be prosecuted, let us pray to comfort those in mourning,” he said, calling on lawmakers to pass a stalled police reform bill named after George Floyd, who was choked to death by a white officer in 2020.

Grayson, 30, and the second officer were called to Massey’s home in Springfield, about 200 miles (322 km) outside Chicago, to investigate a report of a suspected “burglar” at 12:50 a.m. July 6, the complaint said.

The video, captured by body cameras worn by the officers, shows Massey, 36, in her kitchen, at their request, removing a pot of boiling water from the stove. As she did so, the accompanying officer, who has not been named, backed out of the kitchen and into the living room, saying he wanted to put distance between himself and the boiling water.

Massey then said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” after which Grayson pointed his gun at her and threatened her with a shot to the face.

As Grayson instructed her to drop the jar, Massey said, “I’m sorry,” and began to duck. Grayson again instructed her to drop the jar. The second officer then drew his firearm.

During this conversation, Massey did not make any verbal threats or move toward the officers.

Grayson took two steps toward the kitchen, yelled at her to drop the pot, and began shooting. He then alerted his superiors that he had shot Massey in the face and turned on his body camera. The entire incident was captured on the second officer’s body camera.

The second officer began rendering aid two minutes and six seconds after Massey was shot.

“It’s shocking. I mean, every part of the video,” Ben Crump, a prominent civil rights attorney representing Massey’s family, said at a briefing.

Crump said Massey may have appeared to have mental health issues, but the officer was not justified in using deadly force. The video shows she was neither aggressive nor threatening toward the officers, he said.

“Imagine what the story would have been like if there had been no video,” Crump said.

Grayson’s attorney, Daniel Fultz, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The suspect was jailed until his next court appearance on Aug. 26.