On July 6, Sonya Massey was fatally shot in her kitchen by Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson after calling 911 for help. Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell apologized to the community, acknowledging that they failed Massey and her family. The Justice Department opened a federal probe into Massey’s killing after body camera footage was released to the public, revealing horrifying details of the incident.
Massey’s death has sparked national outrage and renewed calls for police reform, with vigils held across the country. Campbell, the sheriff who hired Grayson, has refused to step down, stating that it would not solve anything.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump compared Massey’s case to other high-profile police killings, calling it senseless, unnecessary, and unjustifiable. Massey was shot by Grayson after he ordered her to put down a pot of boiling water.
2023 was the deadliest year for police killings in the U.S., with more than 1,300 people killed by law enforcement officers. Massey’s death is part of a troubling trend of police violence that has been on the rise in recent years, according to data from Campaign Zero’s Mapping Police Violence project.
Massey’s killing has brought widespread attention to issues of police brutality and systemic racism in law enforcement, with calls for accountability and justice for victims like Massey.
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