Crime & Law
Family Members, Civil Rights Leaders Gather on West Side to Demand Justice in the Fatal Police Shooting of Sonya Massey
Video: Joining “Chicago Tonight: Black Voices” on July 31, 2024, are the Rev. Ira Acree, pastor of Greater St. John Bible Church; Alees Edwards, a faith-based community organizer and a member of the 11th District Police Council; and David Cherry, president of the Leaders Network. (Produced by Paul Caine)
The Rev. Al Sharpton and civil rights attorney Ben Crump joined the family of Sonya Massey in West Garfield Park on Tuesday, demanding justice for the woman who was shot and killed in her Springfield home earlier this month.
Massey, who is Black, had called 911 for help regarding a possible prowler around her house. She was later shot and killed by one of the white sheriff’s deputies who responded to the call.
“My mother was everything to me,” said 17-year-old Malachi Hill Massey during a Tuesday news conference at New Mount Pilgrim Church. “I love her with my whole heart.”
Also in attendance were Sonya Massey’s 15-year-old daughter Jeanette Summer Massey, her father James Wilburn and her mother Donna Massey, along with other family members.
In released body camera video of the July 6 shooting, now former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson was seen threatening to shoot Massey, 36, in her kitchen after she said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus” while moving a pot from a stove.
Grayson pointed his gun at Massey, who then apologized and ducked before Grayson fired at her three times.
“When I heard and saw the video, I was as outraged when I saw the video on George Floyd,” Sharpton said. “As outraged as I was when I saw the video with Eric Garner.”
Grayson has been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct. Grayson pleaded not guilty to those charges.
The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council said Tuesday it would not pursue initial plans the union had to fight Grayson’s firing. Crump, the attorney for Massey’s family, celebrated the decision and had a message for the police union.
“Until we get full justice on behalf of Sonya Massey, we rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” said attorney Ben Crump, in reference to Massey’s last words.
Sharpton called for a new Illinois law named after Massey that would create more transparency in the records of police officers, along with resurfacing calls to pass the federal George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which aims to end systemic racism and excessive policing through various policies.
The Rev. Al Sharpton and members of Sonya Massey’s family gather at New Mount Pilgrim Church on July 30, 2024. (Eunice Alpasan / WTTW News)
In the last four years, Grayson had been employed by six different police agencies in central Illinois. Grayson was kicked out of the Army in 2016 for the first of two DUI convictions, according to the Associated Press.
Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell said during a Monday listening session in Springfield that the department failed Massey, her family and friends, and the community.
“She called for help and we failed her,” Campbell said during the listening session organized by the U.S. Department of Justice. Campbell apologized, asked for forgiveness and said he would not step down despite calls for him to resign.
The Rev. Ira Acree, pastor of Greater St. John Bible Church, told WTTW News the buck stops with Campbell.
“If he had not hired the man he would not have had an opportunity to take this young woman’s life,” Acree said. “Mr. Grayson had six law enforcement jobs in four years — the bar had to be pretty doggone low for him to be even hired.”
Alees Edwards, a faith-based community organizer and a member of the 11th District Police Council, told WTTW News she thinks Grayson deserves a lengthy sentence for his actions.
“He was angry, he responded to her saying ‘I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.’ He didn't respond because he felt like he was at risk for his life,” Edwards said. “So if we could prosecute him the same way that we would a regular person without a gun and a badge, if he could get the same treatment, the same lawyers and the same sentence, that would be justice for me.”
David Cherry, president of the Leaders Network, which helped organize Tuesday’s event, said that although Grayson has been charged, that doesn’t guarantee a conviction.
“We have to be very vigilant about this case,” Cherry said. “We can’t be naive. It’s a long way between bringing charges and getting justice. … When a Black person is killed by law enforcement, it is extremely rare for us to see a long prison term, and that needs to happen in this case. The family needs to know the person who took their loved one is facing punishment, and it also serves as a deterrent for other officers who might think twice before they start shooting.”
Following the Tuesday news conference in Chicago, community members filed into the church for a special service in remembrance of Massey and in support of her family.
“We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream, until we can live free from police brutality,” said Pastor Marshall Hatch of New Mount Pilgrim Church.
Paul Caine and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Contact Eunice Alpasan: @eunicealpasan | 773-509-5362 | [email protected]
