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

[tlcya]

Biden said he and First lady Jill Biden "mourn with the rest of the country and our prayers are with Sonya’s family, loved ones, and community during this devastating time."

"Sonya’s family deserves justice," Biden added. "I am heartbroken for her children and her entire family as they face this unthinkable and senseless loss."

U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, said she was "shocked, horrified and heartbroken" by the footage and said the incident was "an act of senseless and unjustifiable violence — and it is an affront to our humanity."

Other Illinois lawmakers weighed in, too. Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, said "Nothing could prepare our community to see such a blatant disregard for human life" and urged people to come together "to seek justice and do all we can to prevent another Black man or woman from being unjustly killed."

Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, said he was "shocked and horrified" by the footage and that even during his years serving as a prosecutor "I never saw anything like this."
[snip]
Illinois State Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued a statement in response to the body camera footage, calling it "horrific."
'Horrifying': Officials, lawmakers, Biden react to deputy shooting Sonya Massey

 

[sunflowermomma]

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.

And the other officer correctly had his body camera turned on. The perpetrator turned it on AFTER he killed her.

 

[tlcya]

The thing I find most disturbing is that Massey was likely having a mental health crisis, as she was diagnosed with schizophrenia. People with psychiatric disorders are so vulnerable and are encouraged to utilize police and medical services to keep them safe. In this case, it directly led to Massey's death.

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

Sangamon county, along with others in the region, has a crisis hotline with 24 hour counselors offered through Memorial hospitals. The team is comprised of mobile crisis response providers who work closely with LE. They respond WITH LE when there is a known or suspected mental health issue. They are called to the scene when LEOs determine after arriving that there may be a mental health related problem. Deputy Grayson, and the other deputy, if they suspected Sonya was having a mental health crisis could have called and within minutes the on call counselor would have come to the house and helped assess Sonya's state of mind.

This is what SHOULD have happened. Instead Sonya is dead.
Behavioral Health | Mental Health | Memorial Health
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://williamsville.illinois.gov/uploads/2/6/0/5/26052373/mobile_crisis_response.pdf

 

[Mack the Knife]

I thought there was lengthy psychological testing required to be hired as law enforcement? What does this county use in their process?

It's disturbing that the kind of person to not only do this but also refuse to assist with first-aid manages to make it through the hiring process time and again.

I read an article recently about a Sheriff's department in California. One of the deputies shot and killed his girlfriend and her possibly-estranged husband, and it was discovered that on his pre-hire psychological evaluation, he received a grade of "D. Not Suited". Despite California law prohibiting the hiring of candidates who are "D. Not Suited", this department had 47 peace officers who were evaluated as such, that they then had to put on leave. So not only did they hire people who were plainly stated as psychologically not suited, they broke the law in doing so.

I have very little faith that police departments are making sure that they not only hire psychologically sound officers, but that they are doing the work to make sure the officers stay that way. We all know that law enforcement is a difficult job and that there is a selection bias wherein they have disproportionately negative interactions with people, but it is unacceptable to allow officers to become jaded and start creating the negative interactions.

 

[georgiajean]

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).


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


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


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

 

[georgiajean]

I can’t imagine how terrifying that would be—hands in the air, LEOs pointing guns, yelling at you, advancing on you—she had complied with what they wanted (putting the pot down) but they were escalating anyway. What did they want her to do? They gave no further instructions, and if I were her I might well have grabbed the pot of water and thrown it because it didn’t seem like there were any other options.

I quoted this piece because I can see this scenario, too. She is trying to comply, and she is in a confused mental state (the LE kept telling her to focus on one thing at a time, and now there is a LOT of energy in the room, threats of violence, etc). She grabs the pot and throws it away from her.

 

[tlcya]

Grayson had worked at six different law enforcement agencies in Illinois since 2020, according to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board.

He began working part-time at the Pawnee Police Department in August 2020, then moved to the Kincaid and Virden police departments, before taking up full-time work with the Auburn Police Department then the Logan County Sheriff’s Office and – in May 2023 – Sangamon County.

It is unclear why Grayson changed jobs so frequently and CNN has reached out to the other law enforcement agencies for more information.

The training and standards board records show his Law Enforcement Certification has since been suspended.

A petition calling for an investigation into why Sangamon County hired Grayson was circulated at a march and barbecue in Springfield on Monday night, CNN affiliate WICS reported.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/22/us/sonya-massey-police-shooting/index.html

I am very interested to know the following and very much hope that FOIA docs requested by news outlets will shed light on the answers:

What sort of disciplinary record did Grayson have at the other departments he was involved with prior to Sangamon County?

What were his reasons for leaving those employment positions?

How did he come to be a Sangamon County Deputy despite the frequent moves in departments?

Were there red flags that were ignored either before or after his employment with Sangamon County?

If so, WHY were they ignored?

 

[steeltowngirl]

CAUTION - I HAVEN'T SEEN THIS YET. I READ THAT CERTAIN PORTIONS WILL BE BLURRED ASSUMING IT IS GRAPHIC FOOTAGE OF SONYA'S STATE AFTER THE SHOOTING. THIS IS A TRIGGER WARNING FOR THOSE WHO PREFER NOT TO VIEW THIS FOOTAGE.

body cam video released by Illinois State Police

I just found out about this. I cannot wrap my head around what I just watched. That was a straight-up execution.

 

[PhoebeTries]

He made up his mind before he even went in IMO: he was going to shoot and kill someone. Absolutely vile. This woman was not a danger to them at that point and she did not deserve this at all.

 

[Cryptic]

she says ‘I rebuke you in the name of Jesus’ (an odd thing to say but okay? It’s not a threat)

Given that he was a police officer, I dont think her comment was that odd.

Police officers need to realize that a certain number of the calls they respond to are going to involve: the bored, the attention seeking, people who are responsible for their own predicaments and..... people who mentally "off" and who might be inclined to "rebuke in the name of Jesus" -with out really knowing who they were rebuking and why.

In the end, the out of context "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus" comments also matched the woman's cultural background. Religiously Christian inclined black women are common in small town Illinois.

As you stated, the comments were strange given the context. But, not that strange given the shooter's profession and who was doing the rebuking.

Yet, despite, as you stated, no overwhelming threat, he executes her for being annoying.

 

[georgiajean]

Given that he was a police officer, I dont think her comment was that odd.

Police officers need to realize that a certain number of the calls they respond to are going to involve: the bored, the attention seeking, people who are responsible for their own predicaments and..... people who mentally "off" and who might be inclined to "rebuke in the name of Jesus" -with out really knowing who they were rebuking and why.

In the end, the out of context "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus" comments also matched the woman's cultural background. Religiously Christian inclined black women are common in small town Illinois.

As you stated, the comments were strange given the context. But, not that strange given the shooter's profession and who was doing the rebuking.

Yet, despite, as you stated, no overwhelming threat, he executes her for being annoying.

Not being a Christian, I wanted to understand more of what the phrase "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus" means. I found this source. What Does 'I Rebuke You In The Name Of Jesus' Mean? - Christian Website
Used to get rid of demons or spiritual threats. Something Jesus gifted to any of his followers/believers.
I can now understand why she may have said those words (twice) if she perceived the deputies as a threat. Her family said she had been fearful of being a victim of police violence in recent weeks.

When the shooter reacted so vehemently to the boiling water and the steam coming from it, I wanted to see if there were any biblical connotations for boiling water. I found this Spiritual Meaning Of Boiling Water - CHURCHGISTS.COM It talks about the purification properties of water, and that boiling water can be a force of strength and resilience. (Did she put the pot on to boil to give her protection?) It was after the shooter's strong reaction to the steam that she said the revoking words. I wonder if she perceived the deputy as being spiritually threatening, as a demon, and that is why she said the words.

All my own opinion and speculation. Clearly, he was a terrible person, and her assessment of him as a threat was valid. So very sad. Also grateful that the video is there to hold him accountable. If his partner had not been there, recording the whole while, we would not have the full story, and he probably would have skated by on this horrible crime.

 

[tlcya]

According to Crump, the Department of Justice will be involved in the investigation into Massey's shooting.
[snip]
During Tuesday's conference, Crump said that Gov. JB Pritzker and Lieutenant Gov. Juliana Stratton personally spoke with Massey's parents and children to offer their support and commitment that the state will pursue full justice.
Crump: DOJ is investigating Sonya Massey case

There is a petition currently circulating to remove our Sheriff, Jack Campbell. I do not know Campbell personally. I want the answer to some of my questions above about how Grayson came to be hired before I decide if I support that petition or not. I know what the rumor mill is saying, but I am not willing to end a man's career based on the rumor mill.

 

[steeltowngirl]

In the state’s court filing, prosecutors said a “use-of-force” expert had reviewed the body-camera footage and concluded the use of deadly force was not justified.

“(The expert) likened the scenario to an officer intentionally and unnecessarily putting himself in front of a moving vehicle and then justifying use of force because of fear of being struck,” the prosecutors wrote.

Sean Grayson, a deputy with the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, was charged with murder in the shooting death of Sonya Massey.
Sangamon County Jail/WISC

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

 

[bombardier]

pretty sure that is not the pot. There was a mop bucket on the floor near her feet when she was removing the pot from the stove. I believe that is the mop bucket. Mr. Grayson fired three shots, I believe one of those shots may have hit the pot causing it to fall and hence spill the boiling water on the floor after he fired shots towards Sonya.

At 28:15 you see Sonya resting the pot of water on the edge of the sink. It is here she says I rebuke you. at 28:17 Grayson draws his weapon and Sonya simultaneously begins to duck.

at 28:18 Sonya's hands (Still inside her oven mitts) are both raised and she continues to drop her body behind the counter. The pot is balanced on the edge of the counter/sink area as this happens.

at 28:20 you can no longer see Sonya, but for a moment you can still see the pot, there on the counter. Not in her hands. Not thrown. I have circled the pot visible just below Grayson's forearm. I may try to use a better contrasting color so what I am illustrating is more easily discerned
View attachment 519945

hmmm interesting, i think youre right, great find, thank you!! the footage is such bad quality. in that case, even more reprehensible and indefensible. even though its hard to see on camera, would have been obvious to the officer what was being thrown.

 

[bombardier]

“(The expert) likened the scenario to an officer intentionally and unnecessarily putting himself in front of a moving vehicle and then justifying use of force because of fear of being struck,” the prosecutors wrote.

(snipped by me) well said, great metaphor. cant justify deadly force for a situation you clearly instigated.

 

[georgiajean]

hmmm interesting, i think youre right, great find, thank you!! the footage is such bad quality. in that case, even more reprehensible and indefensible. even though its hard to see on camera, would have been obvious to the officer what was being thrown.

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.

 

[sunspun]

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

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.

 

[MollyDDD]

I want to add; some commentors on YT were saying to slow the video down so I did, and for full case transparency I want it known that when the officer started yelling and advancing w/ gun drawn, while she was crouched down, on video you can see her raising the pot and throwing it. The pot hits the side of the counter and water flows down towards the floor. The officer seems to start shooting after the pot has already been thrown but may have started while it was airborn.
View attachment 519842

View attachment 519843
I think it may become a problem that she is not a """perfect""" victim here. She did throw something that could be a weapon, and self defense* is probably what the officer will go for in terms of the trial. BUT the officer clearly instigated the confrontation. They know she's mentally unwell, vulnerable, and paranoid, and he made the decision to scare her and draw his weapon. I wish she had not throw that pot, but I understand why, in that situation, she would have, given her current state and the fear. I 100% do not believe she would have thrown that pot if the officer had not instigated.
I am interested in how the trial will go. Have there been cases on the books before, like this, where cops instigated a negative interaction, the person acted out of fear, and then got hurt? It adds a cushioning layer between the cop and the person who was harmed, and I worry that the law can twist that.

*I think there is also a question about what level of threat needs to be present to justify deadly force. I think many of us do not believe that hot water thrown by someone very frail rises to that level. The DOJ keeps it vague in their description; it seems up to LE discretion if they feel that serious physical injury would be incurred.

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?

 

[MollyDDD]

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.

It looks like the inside of the pot to me so her hand must have gotten burned from the boiling water when she threw it at the Officer. IMO

 

[MollyDDD]

I think you have kind of answered by question which is does someone who throws hot water justify being shot and killed. I don't understand why these ridiculous situations are escalateing mostly by LE and there is always a victim who was the person that called the police in the first place. Why can't these officers deescalate a situation before it becomes a life and death situation.

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