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Trump weighs in on immunity for Illinois deputy in Sonya Massey murder

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Trump weighs in on immunity for Illinois deputy in Sonya Massey murder


Former President Donald Trump was questioned about his support for police immunity in connection with the Sonya Massey murder case during the National Association of Black Journalists’ convention in Chicago.

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Massey, 36, was an unarmed Black woman who was fatally shot inside her Springfield home on July 6 after calling 911 for a possible intruder.

Former Sangamon County deputy Sean Grayson is accused of fatally shooting Massey as she was moving a pot of hot water off of her stove. 

He is now charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct and is currently being held in the Sangamon County Jail, the Associated Press reports. 

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Sonya Massey murder: Illinois deputy allegedly shot woman in face after ordering her to move pot of water

Massey’s death has sparked outrage across the state of Illinois and has prompted many calls for justice, including in Chicago. 

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On Wednesday, Trump was asked by Semafor politics reporter Kadia Goba about immunity for Grayson.

This follows Trump’s claim that, if elected, police officers could be immune from prosecution.

Here is a breakdown of the conversation: 

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  • Goba: “So, Sonya Massey, someone from Illinois, an unarmed Black woman, was shot the other day in her home by a deputy sheriff. The deputy has since been charged with murder. You said police would get immunity from prosecution if you win. Why should someone like that officer have immunity in your opinion?”
  • Trump: “Immunity? I don’t know the exact case, but I saw something and it didn’t… it didn’t look good to me. Are you talking with the water, right?”
  • Goba: “Police unions are not backing this person either.”
  • Trump: “Are they going to be charging the officer? I guess they’re charging the officer?”
  • Goba: “So why should he receive immunity?”
  • Trump: “Well he might not. I mean it depends. It depends on what happens. I’m talking about people that are, much different cases than that. We need people to protect ourselves. By the way, in Chicago, as an example, a few weeks ago, July 4th weekend, we had 117 shootings and 17 deaths. Nobody wants that… We need to have our police officers have their respect and dignity back. In this particular case, I saw something that didn’t look good to me. I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it at all.”
  • Goba: “So, can you get a little more specific back to the immunity question? Who would make those changes, those distinctions?”
  • Trump: “For the most part, for the most part, people are protected by their unions, by their police unions or by their police departments. But I’m saying if I felt, or if a group of people would feel that somebody was being unfairly prosecuted because the person did a good job… or made a mistake, an innocent mistake. There’s a difference between being a bad person and making an innocent mistake. If somebody made an innocent mistake, I would want to help that person.”
  • Goba: “What would those exceptions be?”
  • Trump: “You go after somebody and it’s a very close call and it’s very dangerous. And you know… a policeman’s life, and woman, is a very difficult thing because sometimes you have less than a second to make a life and death decision. And sometimes very bad decisions are made. They’re not made from an evil standpoint but they’re made from the standpoint of they made a mistake.”

The conversation then shifts to Trump talking about being prosecuted and saying how he “won the big case” in Florida. 

RELATED: Donald Trump speaks at NABJ convention in Chicago

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On Tuesday night, Chicago residents and activists gathered at the New Mt. Pilgrim MB Church to call for action and justice in the case.

Massey’s father is also calling for the resignation of the Sangamon County Sheriff. 



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5 tornadoes confirmed in central Illinois following weekend storms

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5 tornadoes confirmed in central Illinois following weekend storms


(WAND) – The National Weather Service confirmed five tornadoes touched down in central Illinois during Sunday’s storms. 

The tornado count for the WAND viewing area, which does not include all of central Illinois, is now at 61 as of June 22.

For reference, the area averages 20 tornadoes annually. 

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The NWS confirmed an EF-1 east of Neoga in Cumberland County, along with EF-0 tornadoes southwest of Stewardson in Shelby County and northeast of Toledo, also in Cumberland County. 

Additionally, the NWS office in St. Louis confirmed two EF-0 tornadoes south of Shobonier in far southern Fayette County. 

Shobonier is about 10 miles south of Vandalia.

Final details have yet to be released.

This is a developing story. 

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Jimmy Awards: Park Ridge, Tinley Park students to make Broadway debut

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Jimmy Awards: Park Ridge, Tinley Park students to make Broadway debut


CHICAGO (WLS) — The Jimmy Awards honoring “theatre kids” is happening on Monday night in New York City!

Jane Nuich from Park Ridge and Logan Arroyo of Tinley Park will represent Illinois. They’ll be competing against over 100 students from across the nation.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

ABC7’s Hosea Sanders has been following their adventure that leads to a Broadway debut.

When asked if they’ve been intimidated about what’s to come, Arroyo said, “Yes, it’s scary. It’s a scary place, especially putting yourself out there on a stage or alone. I want to be an actor, and I will do whatever I can to do that.”

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Nuich added, “It’s a huge opportunity to work with industry professionals and with so many other talented young people. And you get to experience so much in New York in that short week. And it’s, I think, such a cool experience rather than a big competition.”

Sanders also Arroyo and Nuich what growing up in the Chicago area has done for their exposure and their goals.

“I think the immediate access to all of the theater that Chicago has to offer has been so incredible to me. As a young student of theater and young performer in theater, I think it’s been so educational to me, and so inspiring to be able to anywhere in Chicago in a quick moment from the suburbs to just see so much theater,” Nuich said. “I think it’s so comforting to know you’re surrounded by so many artists who are just as passionate as you. And I think that going into a career in this, it’s so incredible to be exposed to so many young performers who are so talented and passionate as this age.”

Arroyo added, “I’m so excited to be around people I care about and love this as much as I do.”

When asked what previous Illinois Jimmy winners have told the performs, Nuich said, “It goes by really fast, that a lot will happen, but it’s important to stay grounded and to take it all in and realize what a special experience it is, and you just keep working hard.”

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“My big dream is to do what I love and love myself for doing it,” Arroyo said.

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Video shows deadly tornado that hit southern Illinois, killing 2

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Video shows deadly tornado that hit southern Illinois, killing 2


A tornado caught on video tore through southern Illinois on Sunday, killing at least two people, hurting several others and destroying homes.

What we know:

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The tornado touched down shortly after 5 p.m. in northeastern Jefferson County and moved northeast, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

Soon after, 911 dispatchers began getting calls about damaged homes, fallen trees, downed power lines and missing people.

Several police, fire and ambulance agencies responded to help search for people and clear damaged areas.

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By 9 p.m., officials said three homes had been completely destroyed, and many other buildings were damaged.

Two people died in separate homes that were destroyed by the storm. Both were single-wide mobile homes.

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Five people were taken to local hospitals with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

What we don’t know:

Officials have not released the names of the two people who died.

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The National Weather Service has not yet said how strong the tornado was or how far it traveled.

Local perspective:

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Fallen trees blocked at least three roads across the area.

Power lines were knocked down in multiple places, but officials said power had been restored to most customers by Sunday night.

Authorities asked people to stay away from northeastern Jefferson County unless they had an emergency reason to be there.

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The backstory:

The storm came less than two weeks after another round of severe weather produced more than 20 tornadoes across parts of Illinois and northwest Indiana on June 11.

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What they’re saying:

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office thanked first responders and volunteers who helped with search and rescue efforts.

“We send our heartfelt condolences to the families of those lost in this tragic event,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

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The Source: The information in this story came from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

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