An Illinois sheriff’s deputy has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a woman inside her home, a death that led to protests about justice for the Black victim.
Sonya Massey was killed after Sangamon County deputies responded to her 911 call early on July 6, State’s Attorney John Milhiser said.
A statement from Milhiser doesn’t describe the circumstances that preceded the shooting at Massey’s home in Springfield, 200 miles (322 kilometers) south of Chicago. But he said a review of body-camera video doesn’t support the use of deadly force.
Deputy Sean Grayson was indicted on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct, Milhiser said Wednesday.
Ben Crump, an attorney for Massey’s family, said the 36-year-old woman had called police about a suspected intruder in her home. He said she was unarmed and shot in the face.
It’s worse than a lot of people are imagining. They were responding to her call about someone that was lurking around her house/neighborhood. The police arrived when she was making dinner and she wasn’t in the kitchen. She stood and talked to the two officers with a calm demeanor then they allowed her to/told her to move the pot off the stove to reduce a fire risk. Then the officer charged in her murder shot her from a considerable distance after telling her he was going to shoot her in the face if she didn’t put the pot down.
When the other officer said he was going to retrieve the first aid kit, the demented POS that shot her in the face told him not to bother due to the extent of her injuries. Fortunately he went and got it anyway because it seems that he’s at least somewhat competent at his job. He also was the only one of the two to have his body cam footage rolling during the whole interaction. The officer charged didn’t attempt to turn his cam on until after he fired his weapon.
There’s protests scheduled to be taking place today and the vocal minority in and around town are screaming about how there’s going to be riot violence and looting of businesses downtown.
I’ve become so cynical that I fear for the 2nd officers life for not having the other guy’s back. Hope there are no training accidents.