For many Black Americans home is one of the safest places to be. A place to relax, laugh, free from discrimination; a place where they do not fear for their lives. But unfortunately, there are always exceptions, in this case it was 36 year-old Sonya Massey.
On July 6, 2024, at 12:49 a.m. Massey called 911 seeking help under the belief that there could be a possible intruder. Two Sangamon County Deputies arrived at the scene to check on Massey. One of the men responsible to ensure the safety of Massey was the cause of her death that night.
In recordings released by the Sheriff’s office, Sangamon County Deputy Sean Grayson, speaks to Massey about removing a pot off the stove after seeing a pot “boiling something.” Little did Massey know that removing that pot would be the worst decision of her life.
She removed the pot and said twice to Grayson, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” This was taken as a threat to Grayson. He reported feeling unsafe, he felt like that pot in Massey’s hand along with the “threat” put his life in danger. That’s when Grayson releases three 9mm rounds at Massey, one hitting Massey below her eye; she would be pronounced dead by 1:27 a.m. that night.
Black Americans have always feared the police because of cases like this, fear that seeking help could result in the loss of their own lives. Fear has also turned into anger and frustration; this frustration was recently seen during 2020 in the heights of the Black Lives Matter Movement after the death of George Floyd, and protesters have come out again for Massey alike.
Fortunately, the justice system has not let down the Massey family, unlike in other cases, as Grayson was fired and charged with first degree murder, aggravated battery and misconduct charges and is awaiting trial in the Sangamon County Jail. After the Massey family calling for the resignation of Sheriff Jack Campbell, he has finally announced his retirement.
It is extremely unfortunate and scary that terrible cases like this happen; that there are police filled with hate within the police force that are capable of relinquishing that hate on innocent black civilians.
Hope is not lost, many things can be done to try and prevent things like this from happening. Implicit bias training is something many professions are starting to embrace and policing is not an exception. There are several ways policing can use implicit bias training to its advantage.
According to an article by Berkeley, “Research has shown, this is often not the result of overt racism. Rather, more and more studies are finding that the accumulation of unconsciously biased, often split-second, decisions drive the arrests, shooting deaths, and incarceration of black and Latino men.”
Dismantling these biases is the first step to educating police on the biases they may have, how to react in certain situations with different citizens and how they can deescalate situations safely.
If people want to see change they must take action. Some ways people can make an effort towards training for police officers is by reaching out to local or state police departments, asking elected officials to highlight these issues and make change or even dismantle these biases within oneself.
While nothing can replace Sonya, there is a chance that the Massey family will see justice. While it is sad to say, even home is not safe.
