IL - Sonya Massey Shot To Death In Her Own Home by Sangamon County Deputy After Calling to Report a Prowler, Springfield 6 July 2024

[bombardier]

I’m not very familiar with the story but how did they know that she was mentally unwell, paranoid etc? How many times did the officer tell her to put the pot of boiling water down on the stove?

i dont think a mental health history has been officially disclosed yet; people are basing this on the bodycam video. she behaves abnornally (takes minutes to come to door despite being the one who called), says odd things ("im trying to get help..please god...i dont know what to do" "what do you need help with?" "nothing"), calls 911 while LE is already there, etc.
The officer never asked her to put the pot down on the stove. The officer actually tells her to take the pot off the hot element.

 

[bombardier]

I just read a post that mentioned something like “they knew she was paranoid, vulnerable” and something else but I don’t know how the police knew that. But if they did, then they should have brought a professional with them to support her special needs. IMO

They knew after their interaction with her. They likely didn't know prior to being dispatched, as her name was not even known by the officers prior. And it was a prowler call; all they should have done was check the surroundings and leave. They didn't need to enter her house or barely interact with her at all. I 100% support nurse/psych professionals dispatched to MH calls but on paper, this was not a mental health call.

 

[MollyDDD]

I can't stop thinking about how the second officer did eventually try to render aid. Sonya was still alive, still gasping for air. She spent her last moments bleeding out on that kitchen floor, being told (by her murderer) that she was not worth "wasting supplies" on.

Perhaps the second officer, visibly and audibly shaken by witnessing this murder, felt that trying to stop the bleeding was the only thing he could do to help. HIs experience is going to be instrumental in SG's trial. I wish him all the strength in testifying. MOO.

Did he actually say that to her?

 

[MollyDDD]

They knew after their interaction with her. They likely didn't know prior to being dispatched, as her name was not even known by the officers prior. And it was a prowler call; all they should have done was check the surroundings and leave. They didn't need to enter her house or barely interact with her at all.

Oh okay, so that comment was just another poster’s opinion that she was mentally compromised in some way, vulnerable.

 

[MollyDDD]

i dont think a mental health history has been officially disclosed yet; people are basing this on the bodycam video. she behaves abnornally (takes minutes to come to door despite being the one who called), says odd things ("im trying to get help..please god...i dont know what to do" "what do you need help with?" "nothing"), calls 911 while LE is already there, etc.
The officer never asked her to put the pot down on the stove. The officer actually tells her to take the pot off the hot element.

Oh geez, I better just keep reading to catch up on the details. Thanks

 

[georgiajean]

Looks like that is the pot there. Can you tell if we're looking at the bottom or the inside of the pot in this shot? Just trying to get a better idea what I'm seeing, it's really hard to tell w/the poor quality.

If a pot of that size were full of boiling water, seems like it would be awkward or even impossible for this small woman to hold it up by one hand like that. Maybe it wasn't very full? Or has it already been emptied at this point? So unclear.

In that shot, it looks like the open top end of the pot. The handles are at the top. There was not a lot of water in there, IMO. You know how when water hits a flat surface, it looks like tons, but it could just be half a cup? It was hot, it put up a lot of steam, and it covered the kitchen floor. When the LE who tries to help her is moving things around, you can see the thin layer of water being moved by objects. You can also see the plastic bucket on the floor. It has water in it, can see it when he moves the bucket.

If someone was investigating this incident, they could test amounts of water, and how much it would take to cover the floor the way it did.

 

[UrsulaWrenn]

I watched the video, what in the hell did I just see?? They tell her to go get the pot, she does, the cop says he’s moving back from the hot water, she says ‘I rebuke you in the name of Jesus’ (an odd thing to say but okay? It’s not a threat), he tells her he’s going to shoot her in the face, then does so for absolutely no reason. This guy is a menace.

I think she was speaking to her anxiety. As a person who used to suffer anxiety and panic attacks, I understood her to be trying to calm herself so she could navigate the whole unusual situation. He told her the stove was on, and she got up to move the boiling water. There were firecrackers going off all the time, she was already suffering some kind of mental health issues, the pot was pretty large and heavy, the water was probably at or near full rolling boil, she had two cops clearly upset at her and she probably wasn't sure why, and possibly an intruder outside just waiting for them to leave. "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus" was probably something her parents or grandparents said often, and she adopted it as a comforting phrase and a way to quell her nerves (or she may have had Tourette Syndrome).
Sadly, the officer made it all about himself and decided it was a threat.

 

[UrsulaWrenn]

These images are from the shooter's camera, at Min 28. After she has dropped down, hands raised in air, and officer advances forward, yelling at her to drop the pot (which is on the counter).

View attachment 519979
First image, can see her starting to rise up into view again. Arms are reaching towards her right side, up towards the counter.

View attachment 519980
Second image, can see Pot in her hands, coming over her right shoulder.

View attachment 519981
Third image, can see pot being thrown with her right hand, left hand has let go of pot.

He told her to "DROP THE POT OR I"LL SHOOT YOU IN THE FACE". He didn't say "set it on the counter". She tried to comply because she wanted to live. Of course, one does not just drop a pot of boiling water if they've ever suffered any kind of burn. I don't know if she was wearing good shoes, but if not he was ordering her in to injure herself pretty horrifically.

 

[seasideForest]

Looks like that is the pot there. Can you tell if we're looking at the bottom or the inside of the pot in this shot?

RSBM

Looks like the inside of the pot to me. The rectangular pot handle looks like it's bent towards the viewer, so that would be upwards if the pot were sitting on the counter.
MOO

 

[JMapes]

Did he actually say that to her?

In the bodycam footage, SG tells his partner to not bother, not waste supplies because he got a "headshot". He wasn't directly telling SM that she wasn't worth saving, but she was still there, still breathing, still alive.

Kind of like being talked about in 3rd person when you're standing right there. MOO.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Was that against policy or is it just up to the officer to decide whether to use it?

I hope policy states they should always use it for a shooting victim and anyone who may still be alive. They aren't qualified to decide who might survive against the odds.

 

[Leopard]

It has been reported that Massey had a mental illness by multiple media outlets, this is not speculation based on the video.

Massey’s daughter, Jeanette “Summer” Massey, said her mother was previously diagnosed as having schizophrenia with paranoia. But Crump said Grayson could have used the Taser he was carrying. He could have backed away or called a mental-health professional to the scene, Crump said. ... Massey “was dealing with some issues,” Crump said. “She needed a helping hand. She didn’t need a bullet to the face.”

Sonya Massey’s father calls for Jack Campbell to resign

Sherriff’s department denies knowledge of any prior complaints from Grayson’s law-enforcement jobs

www.illinoistimes.com

Massey, whom her daughter confirmed was paranoid-schizophrenic, had called police because she thought someone was trying to break into her home. When police arrived, they began looking into Massey’s home with flashlights, a neighbor, Cheryl Evans, told the Guardian. Evans wondered why police had not knocked on her door, as they typically have done in the past when searching for suspects. Eventually, Grayson, who is white, and his partner entered the home where they began speaking to Massey.

Body-cam video shows Illinois officer fatally shooting Black woman in face

A white deputy, Sean Grayson, shot Sonya Massey, who called police in fear of a home intruder, after boiling water dispute

www.theguardian.com

 

[sds71]

The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed late Tuesday that it is "assessing the circumstances" surrounding the fatal shooting of an unarmed Black woman by a Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy...


Capitol News Illinois requested personnel records from the Logan County Sheriff's Department and the Auburn and Kincaid police departments, but none had been provided as of Tuesday.

Although driving under the influence is not a disqualifying misdemeanor under ILETSB rules, Macoupin County court records showed that Grayson was also charged in 2015 and 2016 with DUI.

A 2015 report by the Virden Police Department showed that he had a firearm and marijuana in the vehicle at the time of his DUI arrest.

In the 2015 case, he pleaded guilty, was fined $750 and placed on seven days of court supervision. His firearm was returned in 2017, according to a court record.

Virden hired Grayson as a part-time police officer six years after that arrest.

In 2016, two months after he pleaded guilty on the first charge, Grayson was stopped by Macoupin County Sheriff's deputies and refused a breathalyzer. During the arrest, he told the deputy to "hurry up" because he needed to urinate. He threatened to urinate in a trash can or his pants, according to the report. At one point, he told the arresting officer that he was "too small to make him mad," according to the police report.

DOJ confirms it's 'assessing the circumstances' of Sonya Massey police shooting in Springfield, IL

The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed late Tuesday that it is "assessing the circumstances" surrounding the fatal shooting of an unarmed Black woman by a Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy.

abc7chicago.com

 

[steeltowngirl]

Was that against policy or is it just up to the officer to decide whether to use it?

I hope policy states they should always use it for a shooting victim and anyone who may still be alive. They aren't qualified to decide who might survive against the odds.

1-16.500 - AFFIRMATIVE DUTY TO RENDER MEDICAL AID​

1. Officers will be trained in, and must recognize and act upon, the affirmative duty to request and/or render medical aid, as appropriate, where needed.

[updated July 2022]

1-16.000 - Department of Justice Policy On Use Of Force

www.justice.gov

“It may be perplexing to some readers, but an officer who employs deadly force actually has an obligation to immediately shift to rendering aid if the subject of their force no longer poses a threat,” Campbell said. “Although we don’t see the nature of Massey’s injuries in the blurred video, officers waited over two minutes before moving in to apply pressure on her bullet wounds.”

https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/23/us/sonya-massey-police-shooting-what-went-wrong/index.html

 

[Kakidoll]

I've now watched the video a few times. I cannot hear what she says to Grayson immediately before he pulls his gun. I know the 'rebuke' statement, but did she say something about his face first? and he then said he'd shoot HER in the face? I don't understand the escalation. Yes, they were not patient and obviously frustrated. It needed a mental health call within minutes of them coming inside. She was acting very strangely. on her phone and not answering them, not knowing who's car was is driveway, couldn't find ID etc. The entire video was strange. I know people are questioning them going in. That makes sense to me. She was not answering questions at the door, someone COULD have been inside already, making her nervous... so they Had to clear the house. I'm sure more info will come out but i don't think there is any excuse available for the shooting. He went into fight mode immediately and even his verbage is NOT what police should be saying, in ANY situation. I do want to hear about his past employment and cancer progression. As for the 2nd cop, he was in shock. His shaking hands showed that. I don't think he even had time to deescalate his partner... i don't hold him at fault.

 

[Marantz4250b]

I just read about this yesterday on Sky News and I can say that I am absolutely 100% staggered by this! I've had to watch the videos a few times just to get my head round it.

This (strictly in my personal opinion only obviously) was outright brazen murder! I cannot conceive of any reason to justify why this woman was shot. It's just completely unfathomable to me. There wasn't even any reason to pull a firearm given that it was reported that the guy had a Tazer.

And the way in which he spoke to her, WTAF dude???? It sounded like he was actively trying to inflame the situation, imo. And why on earth do you go towards someone when that person isn't a suspect in any crime what-so-ever, or even likely to be, when you can simply leave her property?

His attitude stunk right from the outset, imo. Appears to me that he was up for a fight with someone that night and was just trying to get someone to push his buttons! If anyone that night was having mental problems he was certainly one of them.

It's been mentioned in a few reports that he'd been through something like half a dozen law enforcement jobs in the past four years or so and has had at least two offences of driving while intoxicated. Why the hell employs these people??

 

[Marantz4250b]

I've now watched the video a few times. I cannot hear what she says to Grayson immediately before he pulls his gun. I know the 'rebuke' statement, but did she say something about his face first? and he then said he'd shoot HER in the face? I don't understand the escalation. Yes, they were not patient and obviously frustrated. It needed a mental health call within minutes of them coming inside. She was acting very strangely. on her phone and not answering them, not knowing who's car was is driveway, couldn't find ID etc. The entire video was strange. I know people are questioning them going in. That makes sense to me. She was not answering questions at the door, someone COULD have been inside already, making her nervous... so they Had to clear the house. I'm sure more info will come out but i don't think there is any excuse available for the shooting. He went into fight mode immediately and even his verbage is NOT what police should be saying, in ANY situation. I do want to hear about his past employment and cancer progression. As for the 2nd cop, he was in shock. His shaking hands showed that. I don't think he even had time to deescalate his partner... i don't hold him at fault.

I cannot imagine what she could possibly say that would lead him to draw his gun and behave in such an insanely aggressive manner towards her. Regardless of what she said he should have been de-escalating the situation rather than ramping it to the insane levels he did.

Once you've drawn a gun you are rapidly running out of options. If the other party doesn't back down you're in a big hole as there aren't many other roads to go down.

 

[Marantz4250b]

It has been reported that Massey had a mental illness by multiple media outlets, this is not speculation based on the video.

Sonya Massey’s father calls for Jack Campbell to resign

Sherriff’s department denies knowledge of any prior complaints from Grayson’s law-enforcement jobs

www.illinoistimes.com

Body-cam video shows Illinois officer fatally shooting Black woman in face

A white deputy, Sean Grayson, shot Sonya Massey, who called police in fear of a home intruder, after boiling water dispute

www.theguardian.com

Based on his conduct right from the start, my feelings are that the police likely had lots of previous contact from her and knew very well that she was suffering from mental health issues. Just my opinion, of course. That in no way justified any of his behavior. In fact, it makes it even more egregious because he should have been aware that she likely posed little or no threat.

 

[tlcya]

I think the object she throws is indeed the pot. I shared a set of photos from the shooter's camera. In this photo, you can see the rectangular handle on the pot. View attachment 520117

I think you may be right and appreciate your screen captures. So at this point my analysis of the footage is:

she set the pot on the counter, raised her hands, still in the oven mitts, said sorry and began to duck as I described in my captures and then as he continued advancing after having already threatened to shoot her, she then reached for the pot and may have been trying to shield her face/head with it or attempt to appease him by showing him she was dumping the scalding water from it (in this capture it appears the boiling water would have landed at least partially on her)

 

[tlcya]

i dont think a mental health history has been officially disclosed yet; people are basing this on the bodycam video. she behaves abnornally (takes minutes to come to door despite being the one who called), says odd things ("im trying to get help..please god...i dont know what to do" "what do you need help with?" "nothing"), calls 911 while LE is already there, etc.
The officer never asked her to put the pot down on the stove. The officer actually tells her to take the pot off the hot element.

Massey’s daughter, Jeanette “Summer” Massey, said her mother was previously diagnosed as having schizophrenia with paranoia.
Sonya Massey’s father calls for Jack Campbell to resign

In the news conference Monday, along with members of her family, Crump said Massey had mental health challenges but was not aggressive toward the deputies.

“She needed a helping hand,” he said. “She didn’t need a bullet to the face.”
https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/22/us/sonya-massey-police-shooting/index.html