Bodycam shows deputy killing Black woman
An Illinois deputy fatally shot Sonya Massey, who had called 911 about suspected trespassers
What happened
Prosecutors in Springfield, Illinois, released body-camera footage Monday showing a white sheriff's deputy fatally shooting an unarmed Black woman, Sonya Massey, who had called 911 about suspected prowlers in her yard on July 6. The deputy, Sean Grayson, was indicted on first-degree murder and other charges last Wednesday then sacked on Thursday. He pleaded not guilty.
Who said what
The bodycam video, from the deputy accompanying Grayson, showed "18 minutes of a relatively normal interaction" before the visit quickly "turned deadly when Grayson pulled his gun, ordered Massey to drop a pot of hot water and then fatally shot her in the face," The Washington Post said. Grayson, 30, then turned on his bodycam and initially discouraged his partner from rendering medical aid.
Massey, 36, "needed a helping hand, she did not need a bullet to the face," attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Massey's family, said Monday. "Just imagine if there wasn't a video, what the narrative would have been." President Joe Biden said "Sonya's death at the hands of a responding officer reminds us that all too often Black Americans face fears for their safety in ways many of the rest of us do not."
What next?
Grayson faces up to life in prison if convicted of murder.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
5 cinematic cartoons about Bezos betting big on 'Melania'Cartoons Artists take on a girlboss, a fetching newspaper, and more
-
The fall of the generals: China’s military purgeIn the Spotlight Xi Jinping’s extraordinary removal of senior general proves that no-one is safe from anti-corruption drive that has investigated millions
-
Why the Gorton and Denton by-election is a ‘Frankenstein’s monster’Talking Point Reform and the Greens have the Labour seat in their sights, but the constituency’s complex demographics make messaging tricky
-
Ex-Illinois deputy gets 20 years for Massey murderSpeed Read Sean Grayson was sentenced for the 2024 killing of Sonya Massey
-
Demands for accountability mount in Alex Pretti killingSpeed Read Pretti was shot numerous times by an ICE agent in Minneapolis
-
FBI bars Minnesota from ICE killing investigationSpeed Read The FBI had initially agreed to work with local officials
-
ICE kills woman during Minneapolis protestSpeed Read The 37-year-old woman appeared to be driving away when she was shot
-
Two men accused of plotting LGBTQ+ attacksSpeed Read The men were arrested alongside an unidentified minor
-
Tom Phillips: the manhunt for forest fugitive and his abducted childrenIn the Spotlight Three children recovered safely after four-year manhunt ends in police shootout
-
7 charged in LA for 'largest jewelry heist in US history'Speed Read The purported thieves stole an estimated $100 million worth of items
-
Texas set to execute dad in disputed 'shaken baby' caseSpeed Read Robert Roberson's hotly contested execution would be the first ever tied to shaken baby syndrome
