Illinois
Sonya Massey death: Family claims Illinois cops tried to cover up killing by calling it suicide, ‘They tried to…’
The family of Sonya Massey, an unarmed Black woman who was shot dead by an Illinois sheriff’s deputy in her house this month, has accused police of initially trying to cover up the killing. Massey was gunned down on July 6 by Sean Grayson, who had visited her house with another deputy after she called 911 to report a prowler. The shooting, caught on body camera and released, sparked widespread outrage.
The Guardian obtained police audio that features someone at the scene, possibly a deputy, saying Massey’s wound was “self-inflicted.” The family said at a press conference that police initially told her loved ones that she had either died by suicide or was killed by an intruder.
The body camera video shows deputies initially having a seemingly normal conversation with Masset. However, the situation turned deadly when Grayson asked Massey to drop a pot of hot water, and then fatally shot her in the face. Prosecutors believe Massey did not pose a threat to the deputy.
‘How do you get that confused?’
“They tried to make me believe that a neighbor had did it,” said Jimmie Crawford Jr, Massey’s former partner who is the father of one of her children. He added that law enforcement told nurses at the hospital Massey had been taken to that she had “killed herself.” “How do you get that confused?” Crawford Jr added.
“They said it was being investigated, then they said they told the physicians at the hospital she had committed suicide—and then they revised it,” Massey’s mother, Donna, said, stressing the importance of an investigation.
“We’re going to get justice for sure. I know. We are for sure,” she added. Donna is set to meet with vice president Kamala Harris, and has already visited Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois. Joe Biden has extended his condolences and expressed his anger.
The family said law enforcement started classifying Massey’s death as a police killing only after a doctor said it was a homicide. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the victim’s family, said that an investigation has been launched by the US Department of Justice. The DoJ told The Guardian that it “is aware of and assessing the circumstances surrounding the tragic officer-involved death of Ms Sonya Massey and extends condolences to her family and loved ones. The department will continue to track the criminal case opened by the Sangamon county state’s attorney.”
Sonya Massey’s son breaks silence
The teenage son of Massey has broken his silence days after the incident. Malachi Hill-Massey, 17, told CBS News that the 36-year-old was “a good mother” and was “very smart and always helped everybody but herself.” “Just a ball of love, honestly, to me. She cooked me the best food. I love her food, honestly,” Malachi said.
“She’s just the most loving person ever. I don’t know. That’s the person that made me just feel so loved,” he said, adding that he just could not bring himself to see the video of the shooting. “I don’t have any words for this,” he said.
Grayson has been indicted on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct, and faces life in prison if convicted of murder. He is now at the Menard County Detention Facility, as per records.