Warning: this story contains graphic details
Body-camera footage showing the fatal police shooting of Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman who had called 911 for help, was released publicly Monday in a case that has led to murder charges against a deputy.
The 36-minute video released via the Illinois State Police includes body-camera footage from each of the two Sangamon County Sheriff鈥檚 deputies who responded to Massey鈥檚 house after midnight on July 6 after Massey called 911 to report a possible 鈥減rowler鈥 at her home in Springfield, according to a court document filed by prosecutors.
In the footage, deputy Sean Grayson and another deputy speak calmly with Massey in her home when she goes to the stove to turn off a pot of boiling water. She then picks up the pot and the other deputy steps back, 鈥渁way from your hot steaming water,鈥 he says.
鈥淚 rebuke you in the name of Jesus,鈥 she says in response.
鈥淗uh?鈥 the deputy says.
鈥淚 rebuke you in the name of Jesus,鈥 she repeats.
鈥淵ou better f**king not or I swear to God I鈥檒l f**king shoot you in the f**king face,鈥 Grayson says.
He then draws his firearm and points it at her, and she ducks and says, 鈥淚鈥檓 sorry鈥 while lifting the pot, the video shows.
鈥淒rop the f**king pot!鈥 both deputies yell.
Three shots are heard. After a few seconds of silence, one deputy says 鈥渟hots fired鈥 and calls for EMS.
鈥淒ude, I鈥檓 not taking f**king boiling water to the f**king head. And look, it came right to our feet, too,鈥 Grayson says.
Minutes after the shooting, Grayson speaks to another law enforcement figure. 鈥淪he had boiling water and came at me with boiling water,鈥 he says in the video. 鈥淪he said she was going to rebuke me in the name of Jesus and came at (me) with boiling water.鈥
CNN has reached out to Grayson鈥檚 attorney for comment.
The release of the video comes about two weeks after the fatal shooting and just in her death.
Grayson, 30, was indicted by a grand jury last week on three counts of first-degree murder and one count each of aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct. He has entered a not guilty plea and was denied pretrial release, according to court records.
Massey is one of a number of Black women who have been killed by police in their own homes in recent years, including and . In a news conference Monday afternoon, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Massey鈥檚 family, connected her death to other cases of police violence against Black people across the US.
鈥淯ntil we get justice for Sonya Massey, we rebuke this discriminatory criminal justice system in the name of Jesus,鈥 he said.
Grayson did not activate his body camera until after he fatally shot Massey, according to charging documents. The other deputy had activated his body camera when he first arrived at the scene, the documents state.
According to footage from the other deputy鈥檚 body camera, the incident began with the deputies walking around Massey鈥檚 yard and finding a vehicle with broken windows. They then knock on the door and speak with her, and she struggles to understand and answer some questions about the vehicle and about herself.
As they speak in her living room, the deputies note the pot on the lit stove and one says, 鈥渨e don鈥檛 need a fire while we鈥檙e here.鈥 Massey gets up and turns off the stove and the shooting then follows.
Immediately after the shooting, the video records Grayson telling his partner Massey would not need medical help.
The other deputy says he鈥檚 going to get a medical kit to help, but Grayson responds, 鈥淣ah, she鈥檚 done. You can go get it but that鈥檚 a headshot.鈥
Grayson later goes to his vehicle to get his own medical supplies. When he gets back to the house, he asks if there鈥檚 anything he can do, but is told no.
鈥淎ll right, I鈥檓 not even gonna waste my med stuff then,鈥 Grayson says.
Next, Grayson leaves the house and speaks to a group of law enforcement officers outside. 鈥淵eah I鈥檓 good, this f**king b*tch is crazy,鈥 he says, according to the footage.
In the news conference Monday, along with members of her family, Crump said Massey had mental health challenges but was not aggressive toward the deputies.
鈥淪he needed a helping hand,鈥 he said. 鈥淪he didn鈥檛 need a bullet to the face.鈥
Massey鈥檚 father, James Wilburn, said he initially received conflicting information from law enforcement.
鈥淚 was under the impression that a prowler had broken in and killed my baby. Never did they say that it was a deputy-involved shooting until my brother read it on the internet,鈥 Wilburn said.
Since the shooting, local and state officials have criticized the deputy鈥檚 actions as an unjustified use of deadly force.
A review of the Illinois State Police investigation into the shooting 鈥渄oes not support a finding that 鈥 Grayson was justified in his use of deadly force,鈥 the state鈥檚 attorney for the county, John Milhiser, said in a July 17 news release.
In a court document filed by the state last week, prosecutors said a 鈥渦se-of-force鈥 expert had reviewed the body-camera footage and concluded the use of deadly force was not justified.
鈥(The expert) likened the scenario to an officer intentionally and unnecessarily putting himself in front of a moving vehicle and then justifying use of force because of fear of being struck,鈥 the prosecutors wrote.
The sheriff鈥檚 office said it has fired Grayson. 鈥淚t is clear that the deputy did not act as trained or in accordance with our standards,鈥 .
CNN experts offered similar analysis.
鈥淓ffective policing comes down to good judgment in highly stressful situations,鈥 said Josh Campbell, CNN security correspondent and former federal agent. 鈥淎lthough being doused with scalding water could warrant the use of deadly force by an officer to stop a threat, in this video we certainly don鈥檛 see officers attempting alternative options, such as moving away and creating distance between themselves and Massey.鈥
鈥淭here were a number of ways to avoid this starting with better tactics from the outset,鈥 said CNN Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller, 鈥渂ut even if you forgive that and limit the observations to the last few seconds, there were still options of a calmer dialogue, more distance between the subject and them, a taser rather than a firearm.鈥
U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement Monday that Massey鈥檚 family 鈥渄eserves justice.鈥
鈥淚 am heartbroken for her children and her entire family as they face this unthinkable and senseless loss. Jill and I mourn with the rest of the country and our prayers are with Sonya鈥檚 family, loved ones, and community during this devastating time,鈥 Biden said in a written statement.
鈥淚 commend the swift actions that were taken by the Springfield State鈥檚 Attorney鈥檚 office. While we wait for the case to be prosecuted, let us pray to comfort the grieving. Congress must pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act now. Our fundamental commitment to justice is at stake,鈥 the president added.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued a statement Monday saying the footage was 鈥渉orrific鈥 and offering his sympathy to Massey鈥檚 family.
鈥淎s the community reacts to the release of the footage, I urge calm as this matter works its way through the criminal justice system,鈥 he said.
鈥淚n Illinois we have made sure that the law mandates independent investigations after officer involved shootings. In this matter it appears that the investigation by the Illinois State Police and the subsequent referral to the Sangamon County State鈥檚 Attorney鈥檚 office have complied with the letter and spirit of the law by providing the appropriate transparency and moving toward accountability,鈥 Raoul added.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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