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

[poppyquiche]

So do I. I read where the officer was a problem at multiple other law enforcement agencies. I question how someone who was such a problem and obviously so short tempered was able to secure another job at as a police officer. It seems like instead of actually doing something about his obvious inability to do his job, they just passed him around and let him be someone elses problem. This should have NEVER have happened.. I hope he gets prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law

For REAL. How in the world was this guy still an officer?!

This poor woman. I feel so awful for her family. May justice be served.

 

[Cryptic]

Once the camera has been activated, that previous 30 seconds and the footage after is automatically uploading to a server somewhere and being maintained for at least 90 days. This ensures the LEO is not able to view a playback of their own footage nor are they able to alter or delete it.

As a side note, police body cameras have the same feature in reverse. An officer in Delaware facing a variety of serious charges turned his camera off prior to beating a detained person.

Little did he know that the camera continues to record for a period of time after being turned off- and as you mentioned, likely uploads it into a secure cloud somewhere.

And, more camera trivia- As some individuals in Mississippi learned while attempting to cover for a murder suspect, footage deleted from some security cameras is not truly deleted. Rather, it can be recovered for a period of time. Similar to how the company IT guy / girl can readily retrieve "deleted" material from a computer.

 

[iusedtofloat]

So do I. I read where the officer was a problem at multiple other law enforcement agencies. I question how someone who was such a problem and obviously so short tempered was able to secure another job at as a police officer. It seems like instead of actually doing something about his obvious inability to do his job, they just passed him around and let him be someone elses problem. This should have NEVER have happened.. I hope he gets prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law

Because, as my friend who is former LE put it, "being a sociopath is viewed as a good quality when it comes to policing". MOO. or, rather, HIS opinion

 

[Cryptic]

because apparently that phrase is what a Catholic says before throwing holy water on someone.

Some devout Catholics, possibly including your husband's family, will keep small vials of holy water at home for blessings. So, it is possible that he was exposed to the concept of holy water being in a home and used outside of a church.

But, I think its also important to look at the scripture quote.

Outside of Exorcist type movies, Catholic using that scripture quote in the course of sprinkling (it does not really come in big enough home use containers to "throw"- think perfume sized vials) would be so rare as to be virtually non existent.

If holy water and the idea of demonic possession served as a trigger, I would say he has incorporated an awful lot of Exorcist type movies into his religious beliefs.

This possible incorporation would be similar to somebody viewing the military- or police work, though the lens of action adventure movies.

 

[steeltowngirl]

I mentioned this case and Sonya's "rebuke" phrase to my husband. He was raised a devout Catholic, and he instantly thought she intended to throw the boiling water on the officer, because apparently that phrase is what a Catholic says before throwing holy water on someone. While I don't think Sonya intended to threaten the officer, it makes it more understandable that he thought she was.

Just a completely different perspective, and one I never knew about.

Still doesn't explain why he didn't just back out of her house and leave her alone, though.
"Heya...look, we're done here and none of us need to do anything we can't undo. There's no sign of a prowler and we LEOs have other places to be, so we'll see ourselves out now. You take care and call us again if you feel you need to."

Catholic here. I have never heard the rebuke phrase before. In baptisms and confirmations, I’ve heard “Do you renounce Satan,
and all his works and empty promises?”

Sonya was Baptist, and perhaps heard a similar phrase there. I don’t know really, but hoping not to conflate her fears and phrasing with teachings.

Sonya should be alive and receiving treatment for her illness.
Not dead at the hands of an overzealous cop who never should have had the job to begin with.

jmo

 

[spyblond]

Sean Grayson, officer charged in Sonya Massey shooting, had disciplinary record: "He was acting like a bully"

Sean Grayson, the now-fired Illinois sheriff's deputy charged with killing 36-year-old Sonya Massey in her own home, had a disciplinary file that included accusations of bullying and abuse of power, records obtained by CBS News show.

www.cbsnews.com

Article with some new details about Grayson's disciplinary record. The article is worth the read. Confirms what we all know: he should not have been a police officer.
Snipped by me:
"He was acting like a bully," Girard (Illinois) Police Chief Wayman Meredith said over the phone, recalling an alleged incident last year when he says an enraged Grayson was pressuring him to call child protective services on a woman outside of Grayson's mother's home. "He was wanting me to do stuff that was not kosher."
""The sheriff and I will not tolerate lying or deception," the officer tells him in the audio recording of a Nov. 2022 meeting obtained by CBS News. At one point, the supervising officer warns Grayson that "officers [like you] have been charged and they end up in jail."
"The disciplinary paperwork also included accusations against Grayson of "abusing his power" and "harassing" a man and woman arrested at a traffic stop."

 

[spyblond]

https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/27/us/sean-grayson-misconduct-sonya-massey-death/index.html

More about Sonya. Her poor son is living a nightmare no one should have to go through.
From article:
"Massey’s 17-year-old son, Malachi, must now live the rest of his life without his mother. He said his mom was a “ball of energy” who always reminded him to read his Bible. “She’s the person who taught me how to love,” Malachi told CNN."

 

[Artis]

Grayson, imo, put him in an extremely dangerous position. There is a thing called "sympathetic firing" whereby if your buddy fires you may automatically do the same thing as a reaction to his shooting, especially if you have other things on your mind at the time.

Never heard that term but it sure is accurate. Maybe hysterical firing would even be better. Seen it a lot with SWAT raids on innocent people. One that comes to mind is the Arizona guy whose house was raided (wrong house) in the early AM and he had something like 86 bullet wounds. It's like being descended upon by terrorists.

 

[Artis]

I think this link has already been posted, but I found this part interesting:
"After Auburn, Grayson was hired by Logan County, where he remained for a year before starting as a deputy in Sangamon County in May 2023. While in Logan County, he pursued a vehicle at speeds of 110 mph, against direct orders of his superiors and eventually hit a deer, according to records obtained by WAND-TV. His supervisors recommended "high-stress decision-making" training for him."

I wonder if this training was ever done?

(Deputy who killed Sonya Massey was discharged from Army for serious misconduct)

All the training in the world won't overcome his personality profile, which is exactly what I was talking about saying all LE need extensive psychological testing. Any hint of ASPD (sociopathy), psychopathy, rage issues, etc, must be an immediate disqualifer. Reckless bullies with rage issues are attracted to these jobs and that is evidenced by the hundreds of videos showing innocent people and their dogs getting murdered.

 

[Artis]

more dirt being dug on Grayson's previous employers in LE. He has a documented history of issues with shortcuts, lying to try to manufacture probable cause, inability to follow directions from superiors/authority, you name it. He was close to being fired from Logan County (his employer just prior to coming to Sangamon's dept.). Instead he miraculously obtained a position in Sangamon and was able to resign from Logan county rather than being fired.

I knew it! I am so angry. I am now ready to scream from the rooftops that Sangamon County Jack Campbell needs to be removed. He knew or should have known. There is more behind why I feel so strongly about this but the media must catch up before we discuss it.
-----------------------------------------------
The first sign of trouble in Logan County came just months after his hiring. According to department records, while on patrol around 1:41 a.m. on Sept. 22, 2022, Grayson spotted a woman in a parked truck, who seemingly crouched down in the driver’s seat in an attempt to avoid being seen by him.
Deputy charged with murder had issues during previous employment

much much more at link

Read at your link and also saw this:

The union representing Sangamon County sheriff’s deputies is asking that former deputy Sean Grayson, charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Sonya Massey, be reinstated and reimbursed for any lost wages.

The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council filed a grievance July 18 against the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department. The grievance said Grayson, 30, of Riverton, was “terminated without just cause.”

Union for sheriff’s deputies wants Grayson reinstated

The union representing Sangamon County sheriff’s deputies is asking that former deputy Sean Grayson, charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Sonya Massey,...

www.illinoistimes.com

 

[Artis]

Because, as my friend who is former LE put it, "being a sociopath is viewed as a good quality when it comes to policing". MOO. or, rather, HIS opinion

Exactly what I've been saying. It's like LE departments select for these types. This creates such a huge problem for our society because the flip side is "de fund the police". There are a lot of dangerous people out there and we need law enforcement but when cops become just another gang with permission to terrorize and kill, what do we do?

 

[MollyDDD]

So do I. I read where the officer was a problem at multiple other law enforcement agencies. I question how someone who was such a problem and obviously so short tempered was able to secure another job at as a police officer. It seems like instead of actually doing something about his obvious inability to do his job, they just passed him around and let him be someone elses problem. This should have NEVER have happened.. I hope he gets prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law

Not to worry, he will.

 

[MollyDDD]

All the training in the world won't overcome his personality profile, which is exactly what I was talking about saying all LE need extensive psychological testing. Any hint of ASPD (sociopathy), psychopathy, rage issues, etc, must be an immediate disqualifer. Reckless bullies with rage issues are attracted to these jobs and that is evidenced by the hundreds of videos showing innocent people and their dogs getting murdered.

Link please?

 

[Artis]

Link please?

Link to what? If you mean other videos from other cases, I'm not sure that's okay. We actually should have a thread on that. I can, however, recall off the top of my head many of those cases and provide general descriptions, because this an issue I've paid attention to for years.

 

[Artis]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed>

There is no way we can know what the hiring criteria is for every police and sheriff dept in the US. Regardless of any particular regulations, state or local, we still have cops killing innocent people and dogs. The obvious conclusion would have to be that whatever psychological and background checks are being done are inadequate.

 

[fsngruv]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed>

From my understanding a state police officer is an Illinois state trooper and not a sangamon county sheriffs deputy and has different jurisdictions and requirements.

Eta the requirements of an sangamon co. Deputy per their website.

This an older article that explains a little about a merit officer and it's committee. https://www.wcia.com/news/transfer-to-become-a-deputy/

 

[airportwoman]

What's that saying about past behavior being an indicator of future behavior?

 

[branmuffin]

Unfortunately, there are two types of police officers: those who take an oath to ensure the safety of the citizens they are hired to protect and those who see the citizenry as the enemy. It appears that Grayson is firmly in the second camp. And many police forces seem to hire those officers because they are enthusiastic about their careers. Many of those officers are also former military vets who are trained to kill not deescalate a situation. Living in Canada, I can safely say that the hiring process for police officers is pretty exacting. They have the usual requirements but they lean heavily into psychological screening as well. Being a former military member isn't always a plus for the applicant. The testing is stringent and very few get through that would fit Grayson's profile. A caveat, I would say though, is that our police don't assume that everyone and his brother has a weapon readily available to them which I suppose makes every call a possible fatal confrontation. However, it's not the cop who ends up dying most of the time.

Instead of spending time on the range police officers should be taking courses on how to identify individuals who are undergoing a psychic breakdown to properly assess the situation. No more shooting first and asking questions later or reverting to the old saw of 'I feared for my safety'. If you go to every situation with that mindset, you are in the wrong line of business.

<modsnip: off topic unrelated cases>

 

[branmuffin]

I mentioned this case and Sonya's "rebuke" phrase to my husband. He was raised a devout Catholic, and he instantly thought she intended to throw the boiling water on the officer, because apparently that phrase is what a Catholic says before throwing holy water on someone. While I don't think Sonya intended to threaten the officer, it makes it more understandable that he thought she was.

Just a completely different perspective, and one I never knew about.

Still doesn't explain why he didn't just back out of her house and leave her alone, though.
"Heya...look, we're done here and none of us need to do anything we can't undo. There's no sign of a prowler and we LEOs have other places to be, so we'll see ourselves out now. You take care and call us again if you feel you need to."

As a former Catholic I do not remember that phrase being used other than a version of it in the Confirmation ceremony (Do you renounce Satan, and all his works and empty promises?). Or if a priest is dousing someone who has been taken over by Satan, but the only time I ever saw that was in the Exorcist. I believe the phrase is much more likely to be used by Christian Evangelists and other religious groups like Baptists.

 

[UrsulaWrenn]

When I was a small child I overheard my parents talking about a police officer who shot a small child several times because the tot was playing with his Dad's keys. Apparently "I thought my life was in danger" worked and he was acquitted. I've searched the web a few times for the scant details I recall -which may be completely erroneous as it was more years ago than I care to admit- but all I find are other stories of police shootings.
Problem is, of course, that if someone hates or is afraid of small children, dogs, elderly people, homeless people, mentally ill people, the blind and the rebellious, they're not suitable to be police officers. Whether they realize it when they sign up or not, wearing a badge and a gun will not make them kind or brave; it will only make their aversions and fears stronger.