President Biden Says Sonya Massey 'Should Be Alive Today' After Deputy Sean Grayson Was Charged With Murder
President Joe Biden released a statement on the shooting death of Sonya Massey in Springfield, Illinois.
Alarming new body camera footage captured the tragic shooting of Sonya Massey, an African American woman from Illinois, who was killed by a police officer after she called 911 fearing an intruder in her residence.
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In response to the footage being made public, Biden issued a statement condemning Massey's death and praising the Springfield State's Attorney's office for charging Sean Grayson, a former Sangamon County sheriff's deputy, with murder.
"Sonya Massey, a beloved mother, friend, daughter, and young Black woman, should be alive today," Biden, 81, said in a statement. "Sonya called the police because she was concerned about a potential intruder. When we call for help, all of us as Americans - regardless of who we are or where we live - should be able to do so without fearing for our lives."
He continued: "Sonya's death at the hands of a responding officer reminds us that all too often Black Americans face fears for their safety in ways many of the rest of us do not."
The video, released by Illinois State Police on Monday and obtained by 'The New York Times,' shows two deputies arriving at Massey's house on the morning of July 6. The officers appeared to inspect the front yard and backyard before knocking on her door and entering her home.
They then seemed to request Massey's identification while she was seated on a sofa. She stood up to move a pot of boiling water from the stove, telling the deputies, "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus," according to the outlet.
Grayson retorted that she "better not," adding curse words, and then warned her that he would shoot her in the face. Seconds later, he drew his gun and ordered her to drop the pot before firing twice. He then used his radio to report a woman with a gunshot wound to the head.
According to a press release on Facebook from the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office, Massey was declared dead at St. John's Hospital.
The Sangamon County State's Attorney General's Office charged Grayson with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct. In a statement to the 'NYT' after the footage was released, the Attorney's Office asserted that the evidence indicated Grayson's use of deadly force was unjustified.
Per the footage, after shooting Massey, Grayson advised his partner not to give her medical aid because of the severity of her injuries.
"Not with a head shot..." he said. "She's done. You can go get [a medical kit], but that's a head shot."
