An Illinois sheriff’s deputy has been charged with murder and stripped of his badge after shooting a Black woman to death although he was dispatched to her home in response to a possible intruder, according to reports.
Sonya Massey, 36, was killed after Sean Grayson of the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office opened fire at her Springfield home on July 6.
Officers never spotted the bad guy while an innocent woman lay at their feet, mortally wounded, reports show.
The Illinois State Police conducted the investigation, and the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office also opened a probe, finding that Grayson’s use of deadly force was not “justified.” A grand jury indicted the deputy on Wednesday with three counts of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct.
Before the fatal encounter, Massey placed a 911 call in the middle of the night to report a prowler at her residence in the 2800 block of Hoover Avenue, where deputies arrived shortly before 1 a.m., according to her family’s attorney.
Moments later, Massey was shot.
The reasons deputies shot Massey remain unclear. Officials have not disclosed the circumstances that led officers to open fire, whether Massey was armed, or how many times she was shot.
The woman was rushed to nearby St. John’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 1:47 a.m., according to Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon.
The two deputies involved were unharmed.
The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department issued a statement the same day, saying the deputies arrived at about 12:50 a.m., searched the area around Massey’s home, and that around 1:21 a.m. “the deputies reported that shots had been fired, resulting in a female being struck by gunfire.”
Four days after the shooting, Sheriff Jack Campbell posted to Facebook, saying that it is “imperative” for the sheriff’s office to “protect the integrity of the investigation by awaiting” the results of the ongoing investigation.
“My normal procedure is to respond to inquiries and to give public statements in regard to major events. And as an elected official, that is always my instinct,” Campbell wrote. “In this case, it would not be appropriate. I’m asking for the public and the media to be patient as we seek the facts surrounding this tragic event.”
Later that day, Illinois State Police issued a statement saying they would share more details with Massey’s family when appropriate.
The victim’s family, friends and attorneys pushed for a swift investigation.
A crowd of protesters, including Massey’s mother, Donna Massey, gathered outside the Sangamon County Building late last week and this week to demand justice.
Many of the demonstrators held up signs that read, “Say Her Name” — a poignant reminder of victims like Breonna Taylor and a powerful symbol within the Black Lives Matter movement that continues to resonate deeply with families affected by police violence against innocent Black women.
“She deserves justice. Her family deserves justice. And this community deserves answers. We deserve to know what happened to this young woman that called the police,” said protestor Abbey Gignati, according to WAND.
Sunshine Clemons, co-founder of the Springfield chapter of Black Lives Matter, said Massey’s death ripped the scab off old wounds for Black people nationwide, recalling the police killings of George Floyd and countless others.
“She should still be here,” Clemons said, according to the Springfield State Journal-Register. “Sonya Massey is her name, her name deserves to be said.”
Massey’s family watched the body camera footage Thursday, and a retracted copy is expected to be released to the public on Monday.
Jack Campbell, the Sangamon County sheriff, denounced the deputy’s actions in a statement on Wednesday and announced Grayson’s termination.
“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,” Campbell wrote. “Good law enforcement officers stand with our community in condemning actions that undermine the trust and safety we strive to uphold. In times like these, it is crucial for leadership across all sides and spectrums to come together to heal our community.”
Florida-based civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing Massey’s family, issued a statement saying the indictment was a good start in seeking justice.
“While nothing can undo the heinous actions of this officer, we hope the scales of justice will continue to hold him accountable, and we will demand transparency at every step,” Crump said in a statement. “This news is a step toward justice for Sonya’s loved ones, especially her children, who have endured unimaginable pain and suffering since they were notified of this tragedy. We remain committed to uncovering the truth of what happened and identifying the failures that allowed this tragic death to occur.”
The latest police shooting may have struck an eerily familiar chord for Crump, who is simultaneously representing the family of Roger Fortson — an innocent Black U.S. senior airman who a white sheriff’s deputy fatally shot during a disturbance call at a Florida apartment complex in May.
Fortson had been chatting with his girlfriend on FaceTime before he was shot six times by the officer when Fortson opened his front door with a gun at his side.
Fortson had his gun pointed down at the floor when he was shot. Crump stated that the officer arrived at the wrong apartment and killed Fortson without provocation.
