Washington (AFP) – The family of a Black woman shot dead in her home by a police officer in the US state of Illinois has reached a $10 million settlement with the local sheriff’s department and county board. Sonya Massey, 36, a mother of two, was killed by a sheriff’s deputy last July in a case that drew national attention and prompted then-president Joe Biden to say she “should be alive today.”
Massey, who had received treatment in the past for mental health issues, called the 911 emergency line to report a possible intruder in her home, and two Sangamon County sheriff’s deputies arrived shortly after midnight. Police body camera footage showed Massey talking to the officers and searching through her purse after they asked her for identification. Sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson then asked her to check on a pot of boiling water on the stove, saying, “we don’t need a fire while we’re here.”
When Grayson stepped back into the living room, Massey asked why, and he responded with a laugh: “Away from your hot steaming water.” Holding the pot, Massey calmly responded, “Oh, I rebuke you in the name of Jesus” — prompting the deputy to draw his weapon and say: “You better fucking not. I swear to God I’ll fucking shoot you in your fucking face.” Apologizing, Massey crouched behind a counter as the officer screamed “drop the fucking pot” and fired three shots, killing Massey with a bullet to the face.
The Sangamon County Board approved a $10 million settlement with Massey’s estate at a meeting on Tuesday. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has represented the families of other African American victims of police violence, welcomed the agreement at a Zoom press conference on Wednesday, calling it a “first step in getting full justice for Sonya Massey.” “It is very bittersweet that on what would have been her 37th birthday, we announce this historic settlement, which is only the first step in the journey for justice,” Crump said.
Antonio Romanucci, another family attorney, said “Sonya reached out to law enforcement for help and instead received brutal, horrific treatment.” When Sonya called 911 she didn’t know it but that was her death sentence,” Romanucci said. “She called in her own death when she called for help.” Grayson, who is white, faces murder charges and has pleaded not guilty.
The United States was rocked by protests in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white police officer in Minnesota. Floyd’s death revived scrutiny of race relations and sparked calls for police reform.
© 2024 AFP
