An Illinois police officer is in BIG trouble following the fatal shooting of a Black woman. Her family says she called the police in fear of a possible prowler. Instead, the cop allegedly perceived her as a threat.
In the wee hours of July 6, Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call in Springfield, according to Illinois State Police. The home belonged to that of 36-year-old Sonya Massey. Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump said in a statement the police were called by Massey who was concerned about a potential intruder in her home. Authorities said when deputies arrived, five shots were fired inside the home, one of which struck Massey.
She was taken to HSHS St. John’s Hospital where she died later, police said. Her manner of death has not yet been released.
“It is extremely hard to imagine how a woman who calls the police out of fear of an intruder ends up shot in the head by police at her own home. We demand that all body camera footage from this incident be released immediately so that Sonya’s family and the public can see what happened in those thirty deadly minutes. No family should have to endure the pain and suffering that Sonya’s loved ones are experiencing right now,” said Crump in the statement.”
The sheriff’s office identified the officer in question as Deputy Sean Grayson. The Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office indicted him on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct, according to a statement from Crump. The sheriff’s office also said Grayson was terminated from the department after failing to “act as trained or in accordance with our standards.”
Family members and supporters continue to call on the sheriff’s office to release the body camera footage from that night, per NBC News. In response to their protest last week, the ISP said as part of their investigation into the incident, they are not releasing the footage to “protect the integrity of the legal process.”
Sheriff Jack Campbell released a statement requesting the patience of the public but anticipates the video to be published Monday. Redactions will be made out of respect of Massey’s family, per the state’s attorney’s office.