Illinois officer charged with murder after shooting Black woman
The police in Illinois released a recording of an intervention that took place on July 6. Sean Grayson, a local deputy sheriff, shot a Black woman three times. Sonya Massey died from her wounds. The officer is accused of murder.
The intervention, which ended tragically, took place on July 6 in Springfield. Sean Grayson, a 30-year-old police officer and deputy sheriff, and his colleague were called to the home of Sonya Massey, who reported an unknown person lurking in the neighbourhood.
Events took an unexpected turn. According to recordings released by the Illinois police, the officers entered the Black woman's home after searching the area. The video shows the woman approaching the stove, where there is a pot of boiling water. Sonya picked it up.
Although she did not threaten the officers and her behaviour was not aggressive, the officers drew their guns. Grayson started shouting for her to drop the pot. The woman apologized and slowly began to bend down. Suddenly, three shots were fired. Grayson shot the 36-year-old woman in the head. The woman did not survive.
The officer was arrested. He has been charged with first-degree murder. He has been stripped of his duties in the police force. He is in custody and will remain until August 26, when the next hearing occurs.
Officer shoots Black woman. Outrage in the USA
The death of 36-year-old Sonya Massey is yet another case that has outraged the United States. It is another instance where a Black person has died at the hands of a white officer. This is all the more shocking as the 36-year-old did not threaten the officers during the intervention, and there was no indication she intended to attack them. Joe Biden commented on the woman's murder.
Sonya Massey, a beloved mother, friend, daughter, and young Black woman, should be alive today. Sonya’s death at the hands of a police officer reminds us that all too often Black Americans face fears for their safety in ways many of the rest of us do not, said the US President.
Recall that in 2020, in Chicago, the capital of Illinois, an intervention took place in which George Floyd died. An officer suffocated the man. This tragedy caused, among other things, changes in American law regarding the use of force by the police—however, the police reform named after George Floyd has yet to be implemented.
