Sonya Massey’s family believes police officers tried to cover up the officer-involved shooting that led to her death by telling staff at an Illinois hospital that the mother of two had shot herself.
Massey, 36, called police to her home in Springfield, Illinois, in the early morning hours of July 6 to report a prowler in the area. Two Sangamon County sheriff’s deputies responded to the call.
After a 30-minute search of the area failed to turn up any suspects, the two entered Massey’s home and struck up a conversation. As she boiled water in a pot, Officer Sean Grayson shot her three times, killing her.
The family’s attorney, Ben Crump, said at a news conference Tuesday that dispatcher audio from the night of the shooting shows an officer claiming Massey’s wounds were self-inflicted. This comes as the Justice Department confirms an investigation is underway.
Crump told reporters that the Massey family learned through the media that she had been shot and killed by a sheriff’s deputy. Another family member said they were told she had been shot by an intruder.
“If it wasn’t for the body camera footage, they would have lied their way out of it,” said Massey’s grieving father, James Wilburn.
Sonya Massey’s 17-year-old son, pictured center with other family members and attorney Ben Crump, right, tells reporters Tuesday that he couldn’t watch the graphic body camera video showing his mother’s death.
Massey, 36, called police to her home in Springfield, Illinois, in the early hours of July 6 to report a prowler in the area; 30 minutes later, she was shot and killed by one of the responding officers.
Wilburn also called for the resignation of Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell.
“I want to tell everyone that the sheriff that’s here is a disgrace,” Wilburn said. “This man (Grayson) should never have had a badge. And he should never have had a gun. He should never have been given the opportunity to kill my son.”
A transcript of 911 scanner traffic from the night in question shows two people discussing the shooting in which one person, who says he was at the scene, also says Massey died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
At Tuesday’s news conference, Jimmie Crawford, the father of Massey’s daughter, said he was told a neighbor was the perpetrator.
Crump also said Tuesday that given the circumstances surrounding the case, the Justice Department’s involvement is welcome.
Both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee in waiting, have issued statements of support for the Massey family. Harris called the death “senseless.”
Crump confirmed that arrangements are being made for Harris to meet with Massey’s family. The attorney described the meeting between Massey’s mother and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, which took place at a Baptist church.
“They understood that often the Sonya Masseys of the world do not receive due process of law and they were committed to ensuring that this would be a fair and transparent investigation and process at every level,” she said.
Sonya Massey, 36, was a loving mother of two who had suffered from mental health problems.
Grayson has since been fired and pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges.
Crump would not confirm or deny that the family will file a civil suit in the case, but that they are exploring “every possible legal avenue to obtain full justice for Sonya Massey.”
Meanwhile, Wilburn reiterated his frustration that Grayson was hired by the sheriff’s department, given that he had two DUI convictions on his record. The former officer also worked at numerous police departments in just a few years.
In an interview with CBS News, Massey’s 17-year-old son, Malachi, and his mother, Donna, said law enforcement “kept changing the story,” saying nurses were told Massey had taken his own life.
Malachi said he watched the beginning of the body camera video of the moment his mother was shot, but did not finish it. “I have no words to describe this,” he said.
The father of two told the public for the first time that they were told Massey’s death was a suicide at her funeral, which was held in Springfield on July 19.
Sean Grayson’s career included brief stints as a part-time officer in three small police departments and a full-time job in a fourth department, as well as working full-time in two sheriff’s offices, all in central Illinois.
The sheriff’s body camera video released Monday confirmed prosecutors’ earlier account of the tense moment when Grayson yelled at Massey from across the counter to put down a pot of hot water.
Sean Grayson faces life in prison if convicted of three counts of first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a firearm and official misconduct.
James Wilburn has called Sean Grayson wearing a badge a “disgrace” to our country
He then threatened to shoot the unarmed woman. Massey crouched down and briefly stood up, and Grayson fired at her with his pistol. Massey was hit three times, one fatally in the head.
The Illinois Law Enforcement Standards and Training Board shows Grayson was hired part-time on August 11, 2020, by the Pawnee Police Department.
He was also hired part-time on February 4, 2021 by the Kincaid Police Department and on May 20, 2021 by the Virden Police Department.
Two months later, he was hired full-time by the Auburn Police Department and remained there until May 1, 2022, when he was hired full-time by the Logan County Sheriff’s Office.
Grayson left Logan County on April 28, 2023, and was hired full-time on May 1, 2023, by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office.
He received his Part-Time Law Enforcement Certification on June 5, 2021, according to the Illinois Law Enforcement Standards and Training Board. His certification status is currently listed as suspended on the board’s website.
Grayson’s attorney, Daniel Fultz, declined to comment.
The family wants Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, both of which were passed by U.S. House Democrats in 2021 before the legislation died in the Senate.
The first aims to crack down on police misconduct, excessive use of force and racial bias in law enforcement, while the voting rights act would require local jurisdictions to seek federal approval before changing election laws.
“Every member of Congress should vote today to ensure that no one else in the United States of America has to go through what we are going through,” Wilburn said.
Grayson was being held without bail at the Sangamon County Jail. If convicted, he faces prison terms of 45 years to life for murder, six to 30 years for assault and two to five years for misdemeanor.