Bodycam shows police shooting Black woman

Body camera video released by Illinois State Police, former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson, left, points his gun at Sonya Massey

Sean Grayson was indicted on first-degree murder and faces up to life in prison

(Image credit: Illinois State Police / AP)

published 23 July 2024

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.

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."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.