Sonya Massey Called 911 to Report a Prowler; She Was Fatally Shot by Illinois Deputies
Sonya Massey, 36, of Springfield, Illinois, was concerned for her safety so she did what she was supposed to: call 911. The unarmed mother called law enforcement after midnight on Saturday, July 6, 2024 because she was worried about a possible prowler around her home.
Two sheriff's deputies arrived about 12:50 a.m., and that’s when things got ansty.
Court documents describe Massey as “calm, perhaps unwell, not aggressive” when two deputies, including 30-year-old 6-foot-3-inch Sean Grayson, an Army veteran, showed up at her door. Once they were allowed inside the residence, things took a turn for the worst.
Massey’s daughter, who confirmed to the media that her mother was paranoid-schizophrenic, let the lawmen inside her home and retreated behind a kitchen counter, where she was boiling some water in a pot.
According to Sangamon County Court documents, Grayson "aggressively yelled" at Massey to put down a pot of boiling water by placing it on the counter.
In the body camera video, Grayson can be heard screaming, “You better not — I swear to God I’ll f**** shoot you right in your f**** face!”
She threw it on a couch. In the uproar, Grayson pointed his 9mm at Massey as she put her hands in the air and reportedly said, “I’m sorry.” As she reportedly ducked for cover, Grayson allegedly shot in the face.
According to forensics, the bullet entered just below the eye and exited through the back of her neck.
According to a statement from the sheriff’s office, "At approximately 1:21 a.m., the Deputies reported that shots had been fired, resulting in a female being struck by gunfire. Deputies immediately administered first aid until EMS arrived.
But that last statement contradicts a damning court document, that reveals that Grayson actively discouraged his partner from administering medical help by pulling out his First-Aid kit. Why? Because Grayson allegedly thought the gunshot injuries were too severe to help.
“That’s a headshot. She’s done,” Grayson says on video. :I’m not taking a bullet out of her f**** head.”
The other deputy, who has yet to be publicly identified, rendered medical aid anyway despite Grayson’s commands and stayed with Massey until first responders arrived, the charging documents say.
Grayson did not attempt to help, according to the documents. “The other deputy still rendered aid and stayed with Ms Massey until medical help arrived,” said first assistant state’s attorney Mary Beth Rodgers. As for Grayson, never did he try “to render aid to Ms Massey. At no point did this defendant show anything but callousness to human life.”
“The woman was transported to St. John's Hospital, where she was later pronounced deceased,” the sheriff’s statement reads. “No deputies were injured during the incident."
Other revelations that have emerged from the charging document and case include:
Grayson only activated his body-worn camera after the shooting.
For unknown reasons, Grayson has changed police jobs six times in the past four years.
On July 17, a grand jury returned a five-count indictment against Grayson, including charges of first-degree murder.
Grayson has since been fired from the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office.
His pre-trial release on bond has been denied by the judge.
At Massey’s funeral, the victim’s father mentioned Grayson’s employment history as something that should have tipped off authorities as to his issues.
"There was all these red flags and yet they still made him a deputy in this county," James Wilburn said, according to ABC News. "State senator, introduce the bill tomorrow. You can call it the Sonya Massey bill."
"We come to fight for justice for Sonya Massey," said attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the victim’s family, "We say to Deputy Sean Grayson: until we get justice, we rebuke you in the name of Jesus. We say to the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department: until we get justice we rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”
"I rebuke you in the name of Jesus," was one of the last things Massey said before Grayson shot her, Crump said.
County circuit judge Ryan M Cadagin has called Grayson’s alleged actions “such a departure from the expectations of a civil society.”
The victim’s family wants justice. When they heard that Grayson was denied pre-trial release, they rejoiced, although they know the fight is far from over.
"Today is about peace, today is about my big sister. It’s not about that man that’s gonna rot in jail, it’s about my big sister," Massey's younger sister, Breeanna Toles, said. "As baby sister, I look back at our text messages. She’d say, 'I love you, baby sister.' I hold onto those memories. I wish all of my sisters could be in the room today."
The shooting has outraged many in the community and state.
“I am enraged that another innocent Black woman had her life taken from her at the hands of a police officer,” Illinois governor JB Pritzker said. “We’ve seen too much of this, where an innocent person, unarmed, who actually called for assistance, was the target and the victim of, a shooting by a police officer,”.
“I feel for not just the families, and the family of the victim, but also the families of Sangamon county, and then all people of color who have had to endure these kinds of circumstances and to witness them because it affects everyone, even if it’s never happened to you specifically.
“I think it affects every person of color and I think all of us who care deeply about justice and protecting people’s rights.”
The Sangamon County State's Attorney's Office is expected to release body camera footage on Monday, July 22, 2024.
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