Features Overview

What Happened

'“On July 6, 2024, Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman with a mental health disability, was fatally shot by Sangamon County sheriff's deputy Sean Grayson in her Springfield, Illinois home. The shooting occurred after Massey called 911 to report a suspected prowler and Grayson and other officers entered her home. According to body camera footage released by the Illinois State Police, Massey was handling a pot of boiling water in the kitchen when Grayson told her to "get away from your hot steaming water". When she responded, "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus," Grayson threatened to shoot her in the face. The video shows Grayson in the living room with Massey several feet away, and he later told officers that Massey "came at me" and called her "crazy".”