“Tragic Beyond Proportions”: Attorney Ben Crump on Sonya Massey’s Killing and Police Cover-Up

AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González.

A warning to our listeners and viewers: We’re about to discuss graphic details of police violence.

The family of Sonya Massey is demanding justice after the unarmed 36-year-old Black woman was shot dead in her own home in Illinois when she called 911 for help. Police initially claimed she died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, but police bodycam footage has just been released and has proved that all to be a lie.

Former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson, who’s white, has been fired and charged with first-degree murder for fatally shooting Sonya Massey. Grayson did not activate his bodycam until after he killed her, but the other officer’s body camera was activated when they arrived at her house. It shows the two men speaking with Sonya before one notes her stove is on and says, “We don’t need a fire while we’re here.” When Massey goes to turn off the stove, where a pot of water is boiling, a deputy tells her to “step away from your hot steaming water.” Massey can be heard saying, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” and Grayson takes his gun out and responds, quote, “You better f—ing not, or I swear to God I’ll f—ing shoot you in the f—ing face.” As Sonya Massey appears to duck and twice says, “I’m sorry,” the video shows Grayson moving toward her and fire three times, ultimately shooting her in the face. This is a clip of the exchange leading up to the shooting.

SEAN GRAYSON: What is your last name? [inaudible] What’s your last name? You’re not in trouble. I just need to ask —

SONYA MASSEY: Massey.

SEAN GRAYSON: Huh?

SONYA MASSEY: Massey.

SEAN GRAYSON: What — do you have an ID? That would make things so much easier.

SONYA MASSEY: Jesus.

SEAN GRAYSON: I just need to get — just a driver’s license will do, and then I’ll get out of your hair.

SONYA MASSEY: I’m going to show y’all my paperwork.

DEPUTY: What —

SEAN GRAYSON: I will read your paperwork.

DEPUTY: What paperwork?

SONYA MASSEY: OK. I’ve got some paperwork from —

SEAN GRAYSON: We’ll just get your ID real quick.

DEPUTY: Well, let’s get your ID first. And then —

SEAN GRAYSON: One task at a time here.

SONYA MASSEY: OK. Let me find it.

SEAN GRAYSON: Here, grab your ID for me.

SONYA MASSEY: Uh-huh, OK.

SEAN GRAYSON: Your ID. One task at a time. So, let’s do an ID, and then you can dig around for your paperwork.

SONYA MASSEY: I don’t know where my ID is.

DEPUTY: Is it in that stack right there maybe?

SONYA MASSEY: One second.

SEAN GRAYSON: Just check on the burner.

SONYA MASSEY: Underneath this.

SEAN GRAYSON: We don’t need a fire while we’re here.

SONYA MASSEY: All right. [inaudible] OK?

SEAN GRAYSON: OK.

SONYA MASSEY: Where are you moving?

SEAN GRAYSON: Huh?

SONYA MASSEY: Where are you going?

SEAN GRAYSON: Away from your hot, steaming water.

SONYA MASSEY: Huh? Away from my hot, steaming water?

SEAN GRAYSON: Yeah.

SONYA MASSEY: Oh, I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.

SEAN GRAYSON: Huh?

SONYA MASSEY: Rebuke you in the name of Jesus.

AMY GOODMAN: So, after that, Sean Grayson shoots Sonya Massey. Bodycam footage later records him telling his partner not to render aid to her. Records show Grayson has worked at six different law enforcement agencies in Illinois since 2020. All of this comes as Massey’s family says police first tried to cover up her killing. The Guardian newspaper obtained audio of a call from the scene in which a deputy told the dispatcher Massey’s wound was self-inflicted. The family said it was also given misleading information, given by police, that she was shot by a neighbor. This is Massey’s father, James Wilburn, at a news conference.

JAMES WILBURN: I was under the impression that a prowler had broke in and killed my baby. Never did they say that it was a deputy-involved shooting, until my brother read it on the internet. And he shared with me, he said, “Brother, what was Sonya’s address?” And I told him, and he said to me, “This says this was a deputy-involved shooting.” I said, “Deputy-involved shooting? What are you talking about?”

AMY GOODMAN: Sonya Massey was the mother of two, a 15-year-old daughter and a 17-year-old son. Her killing by police has prompted protests, and both President Biden and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris issued statements saying Massey’s family deserves justice. Vice President Harris said, quote, “Sonya Massey deserved to be safe … Doug and I send strength and prayers to Sonya’s family and friends, and we join them in grieving her senseless death,” unquote. Harris also called for Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

For more, we’re joined by Ben Crump, civil rights attorney representing the family of Sonya Massey.

Can you explain exactly what took place? You’ve been out there, Ben. You’re representing the family at this point. And talk about the cover-up, as well.

BENJAMIN CRUMP: Well, obviously, it’s tragic beyond proportions, Amy. This is the worst police shooting video that I’ve seen. I mean, it is so senseless. And the video is disturbing, but the audio is equally disturbing. When you look at that video and you see him move around the counter, even though he’s trying to allege the reason he shot her was because he feared that she was going to throw hot water in his face from the pot — the very pot that he sent her to get — and then he moves around the counter, I think, from an objective observation, looks like to get a better shot. And then he has no remorse, no remorse whatsoever. When his partner says, “I’m going to go get my CPR kit,” he says, “No, it’s a headshot. Don’t worry about that. It’s not going to make a difference. She’s gone.” And then, at one point in the video, he says, “Just let her f—ing” — and he doesn’t finish his statement, but a logical person can conclude he said, “Just let her die.” And so, it’s troubling on every level. She needed a helping hand, Amy. She did not need a bullet to the face.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Ben Crump, equally disturbing is the fact that the authorities had first even withheld the actual information of what happened here. Could you talk about that and how you were able to uncover what really occurred?

BENJAMIN CRUMP: Well, the family said when they initially got to her home, they kept asking, “What happened? Who did this?” And they asked questions, saying, “Well, did she have a history with the neighbor? We’re trying to find out.” You know, the family is saying they told them it’s under investigation, never told them that it was a police-involved shooting. In fact, one of the relatives said that a nurse at the hospital said they said this was self-inflicted. We saw some radio scanner back-and-forth where they talked about whether it was self-inflicted or not.

So, we don’t know what the narrative was initially, but we’ve asked for a thorough investigation of that, as well, what led up to the killing, the killing itself, and then the aftermath of the killing with the sheriff’s department, because we don’t believe Deputy Grayson should have never been hired in the first place. He was convicted of two DUIs. We understand that he was discharged from the Army. And he had six jobs in four-year span, different law enforcement agencies. We have reason to believe that he may have been terminated from some of those law enforcement agency jobs. And so, the question is: Why did he even have a job as a sheriff’s deputy? The judge said at the bond hearing, after watching the video that was released yesterday, that he believed Officer Grayson was a threat to public safety.