Who was Sonya Massey?
Sonya Lynaye Wilburn-Massey, born on February 12, 1988, lived in Woodside Township near Springfield, Illinois, USA. This African American woman was active in her community and worked as a home health aide. She was a mother of two and described as small in stature, standing 5’3″ tall and weighing 112 pounds according to the autopsy report. Her career ended when she was diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune condition. She subsequently began receiving disability benefits from the government. Her life came to a tragic end when she was shot and killed by police officers during a raid on her residence on July 6, 2024. She was just 36 years of age.
What happened on July 6, 2024?
On July 6, 2024, Massey called 911 to report a potential home intruder. “Don’t hurt me,” were her first words to the two officers who responded. Deputy Sean Grayson reassured her, “Why would I hurt you? You called us.” When she was questioned about her mental well-being, she confirmed taking her medicine. Following checks of her backyard and surrounding area, at least two officers entered her home as part of their visit. Inside, one of them asked her to turn off her stove. While doing so, she picked up a pot of boiling water, and the officers backed away, noting that they wanted to distance themselves from it. She commented rebuking them “in the name of Jesus,” at which point one of them, Sean Grayson, shoots at her three times, including once fatally in the head. After the shooting, Grayson labeled her as “crazy” and not deserving of first aid all because she was having a mental breakdown. Video of the killing of Massey was released this week and chillingly conveys how yet another defenseless African American woman was seen as a threat by armed police officers.
Could this have been stopped?
The short answer is “Yes”!
Between 2019 and 2021, approximately 180 calls for help resulted in law enforcement shooting and killing the very people in need. Most of these individuals had a history of a mental health crisis or were in an active mental health crisis that they or a family member were reporting.
Massey’s tragic story highlights the importance of officers being compassionate to those seeking support, being trained on safe de-escalation tactics, and the need for accessible and specialized mental health crisis response teams. Only 15-17% of police agencies have Crisis Intervention Trainings (CIT) that train officers on how to respond to mental health crises. CIT programs have been shown to decrease mental health stigma, reduce the force used by officers, and reroute people to mental health facilities instead of jail. However, these trainings are not universally mandated.
Law enforcement, when visiting the home of anyone with reported mental health concerns, should be trained and prepared to respond to these individuals with care and empathy, not violence and harm. A 2024 study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions and Vanderbilt University found that 67% of all shootings by police involving someone suffering from a mental or behavioral health episode were fatal. Furthermore, the injustice of Ms. Massey’s killing lays bare how racial inequities can play out in our communities. More specifically, the African American community should not have to fear interactions with organizations that are charged with keeping us all safe, nor should anyone else.
Works Cited
Levenson, Eric. “A Step-By-Step Look at How Law Enforcement’s Visit to Sonya Massey’s Home Went so Wrong.” CNN, 23 July 2024, www.cnn.com/2024/07/23/us/sonya-massey-police-shooting-what-went-wrong/index.html.
O’CONNOR, JOHN. “Illinois Sheriff, Whose Deputy Killed Sonya Massey, Apologizes.” AP News, AP News, 30 July 2024, apnews.com/article/sheriff-sonya-massey-shooting-911-f5bdfb0c37b4c5334718fcd4461787a7.
Tucker, Emma. “What We Know about the Deputy Charged with Killing Sonya Massey in Her Home after She Called 911 for Help.” CNN, 24 July 2024, www.cnn.com/2024/07/24/us/sean-grayson-illinois-police-officer-shooting-sonya-massey/index.html.
Parks, Eric Levenson, Jillian Sykes, Brad. “Illinois Police Release Body-Cam Video of Fatal Shooting of Black Woman in Her Home.” CNN, 22 July 2024, www.cnn.com/2024/07/22/us/sonya-massey-police-shooting/index.html.