The mother of Sonya Massey, a black woman who was fatally shot in the face in her kitchen by a white police officer after she called 911 for help, begged dispatchers not to send a “biased” officer to her daughter’s home.
The mother, Donna Massey, said in a 911 call the day before her daughter’s death that she was worried police would “make it worse” and pleaded with the operator: “I don’t want her to get hurt.”
“Please don’t send in combative, prejudiced police,” Massey Sr. said. “I’m afraid of the police. Sometimes they make things worse.”
Donna added that her daughter was suffering from a “mental breakdown.”
Massey, 36, a mother of two from Springfield, Illinois, was shot and killed by Officer Sean Grayson, 30, on July 6 after Grayson and another officer arrived at her home to investigate a prowler.
According to records released Wednesday, Sonya had made two calls to 911 in the days before her death.
Her mother Donna, seen here, said in a call the day before her daughter’s death: “Please don’t send in combative, prejudiced police officers, please.”
This undated photo provided by the family’s attorneys in July 2024 shows Sonya Massey.
The distraught mother added: ‘“She’s not a danger to herself, she’s not a danger to me,” he said, referring to Massey’s mental episode as “paranoid schizophrenic.”
The recordings also show some officers and first responders discussing whether Massey had shot himself.
An official said on a call to report the police shooting that “they are now saying it was self-inflicted.”
Another adds: ‘Either it was self-inflicted or he was shot, it is not clear where the misinformation about the possibility of self-inflicted wounds came from.
The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department is still trying to determine whether Massey’s history of mental health issues was conveyed to responding deputies.
Body camera footage suggests they were unaware and Grayson asked dispatch if there are any call records of Massey that indicate mental health issues.
That information is passed on if it is known, but there is no built-in mechanism to ensure that, said Jeff Wilhite, a spokesman for Sheriff Jack Campbell.
Wilhite said: ‘It’s possible, if the dispatcher knew the calls were linked, but it’s not automatic.
‘The dispatcher would have to know ‘yes, it’s the same person’ and ‘yes, it’s the same address.’
Earlier this month, Grayson shot Massey three times after she called police to report a prowler.
Officer Sean Grayson draws his gun as Sonya Massey hides in her kitchen on July 6.
Grayson’s record was also released, showing he had two drunken driving convictions in one year, the first of which led to his discharge from the military.
His psychological assessment found him fit to play but added: “He knows he can move too fast at times. He needs to slow down to make good decisions.”
Footage captured the night Massey died shows her waving at officers outside her home, saying “don’t hurt me” and appearing confused.
After Grayson ordered her to remove a pot of water from the stove, she told him, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”
Grayson then points his gun at the mother of two and yells at her to throw away the allegedly boiling water before firing three shots, hitting her below the left eye.
Family members said Massey had mental health issues and had undergone treatment.
Her son, Malachi Hill Massey, said he and his sister had to live with their parents because Massey checked into an inpatient treatment program.
Grayson has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a firearm and official misconduct in Massey’s killing.
At a news conference, Malachi told the audience he couldn’t bring himself to watch the body camera footage showing his mother’s death.
Massey’s autopsy results released Friday confirmed he died from a gunshot wound to the head and that he passed away on July 6.
The report was released shortly before civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Massey’s family, denounced the killing of the former sheriff’s deputy as senseless, unnecessary and excessive.
In addition to the bullet that struck her just below the left eye, Massey had “minor blunt force injuries” to her right leg, according to the autopsy.
The bullet fractured his skull and punctured his carotid artery, causing his brain to bleed, before exiting the back of his upper neck.
Grayson has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a firearm and official misconduct in Massey’s killing.
He was fired by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office and has been jailed without bail.