Sonya Massey, a Black woman who was fatally shot in the face by an Illinois sheriff’s deputy after she called 911 for assistance, had reached out to emergency services at least twice in the days leading up to her death on July 6, according to newly released records.
One of the calls came from her mother, Donna Massey, who expressed concern to the dispatcher, saying, “I don’t want you guys to hurt her,” and explained that her daughter feared the police.She specifically requested that no officer who might be “prejudiced” be sent, reported AP.
The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department is currently investigating whether the deputies who responded to the call about a suspected prowler at Massey’s home were aware of her mental health history. Body-worn camera footage released last week suggests that this information was not communicated to the officers. In the video, former sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson, who shot Massey, is heard asking dispatch two minutes after the shooting if there was any record of previous calls indicating she had mental health issues.
Jeff Wilhite, spokesperson for Sheriff Jack Campbell, mentioned that while such information is passed along if known, there is no automatic mechanism to ensure it is relayed. “The dispatcher would have to know ‘yes, it’s the same person’ and ‘yes, it’s the same address,'” Wilhite explained.
Another 911 call from July 4, released in response to public records requests, involved an unnamed caller reporting that someone was trying to harm them, only to disconnect after stating, “This must not be the right number.” Officials are unsure if Massey made this call.
Grayson, 30, has been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct for the shooting death of 36-year-old Massey. He has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bond.
The body-cam footage reveals that after Grayson and another deputy arrived at Massey’s home just before 1 a.m. on July 6, she appeared confused, repeatedly asking, “Please God” and “Don’t hurt me.” Inside her home, she struggled to find her ID and asked for her Bible. When she suddenly said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” while holding a pot of water, Grayson drew his gun and fired three shots, one of which struck her below the left eye.
Massey’s family has stated that she had a history of mental health struggles and had recently sought treatment. Her 17-year-old son, Malachi Hill Massey, shared that his mother had checked into a 30-day inpatient treatment program in the St. Louis area at the start of July, only to return two days later.
On July 4, at 9:27 p.m., a 911 caller from Massey’s address reported that “somebody’s trying to hurt me.” When pressed for more information, the caller said, “Never mind,” and disconnected. Later that morning, Donna Massey called 911, describing her daughter’s paranoid behavior and emphasizing that she was not dangerous but had become increasingly fearful and distressed.
Springfield police responded to the call and found that Massey did not want to speak to medical professionals but was checked by emergency medical technicians. Massey herself later called to report a neighbor hitting her with a brick, leading a sheriff’s deputy to meet her at a hospital. The deputy noted that she appeared to be experiencing mental health issues and was seeking treatment for minor injuries. Massey mentioned she had recently been released from a mental health facility and claimed police had tried to run her off the road earlier that day.
Twelve hours after this incident, Grayson and another deputy responded to the July 6 call, where body-cam footage shows them noticing the broken windows on Massey’s SUV. Grayson questioned her about the vehicle, and when she denied owning it, he asked if she was “doing all right mentally,” to which she replied, “Yes, I took my medicine.”
Minutes later, after the shooting, Grayson radioed in to ask if there was any call history indicating Massey had mental health issues. The response is not heard, but Grayson is later heard saying, “That would explain a lot.”