Body cam footage shows the deputy shooting the woman in her home.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) opened a civil rights investigation into the July shooting of Sonya Massey, informing the involved police department in a letter this week.
Deputy Sean Grayson shot Sonya Massey in the head after entering her home in Springfield, Illinois. Massey, who was known to be mentally ill, called the police to report an intruder outside her home.
The body camera footage shows the deputy interacting with the woman in her kitchen before shooting her three times across her counter. He then discouraged his fellow police officers from administering first aid, saying: “That’s a head shot. There’s nothing you can do.”
While the deputy was fired and charged with several criminal counts in court, in its letter to Illinois’ Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, the Justice Department said the incident still raised “serious concerns about SCSO’s interactions with Black people and people with behavioral health disabilities.”
The department added that the shooting also called into question the “policies, practices, procedures, and training regarding community policing, bias-free policing, response to behavioral health crises, use of force, de-escalation” at the sheriff’s office.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For DOJ officials as they investigate the sheriff’s office and police department regarding minority and disability discrimination.
- For safety and wisdom for law officers across the nation who experience highly dangerous situations each day on the job.
Sources: The Hill, CNN
