The Brutal Killing of Sonya Massey Demands Justice
Every American should mourn and demand answers
Sonya Massey was a 36-year-old Black Illinois woman who should still be alive. Unfortunately, thanks to a deputy sheriff with a sketchy record, she is not. And her family, the community, and our nation deserve answers — and justice.
This tragic episode began when Ms. Massey called 911 late at night on July 6 for help. She was concerned about a potential prowler. Two Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputies arrived at Massey’s home around 12:50 a.m.
What followed was tragic and inexcusable. You can read about it in court documents and watch the recently released bodycam video footage. (Fair warning: It’s disturbing). You can also review this timeline of the incident.
The deputies encourage Massey to see to the boiling water on her stove. Then, when she says something like “I rebuke you in Jesus’ name” and turns towards them, the situation quickly escalates. It ends in Massey being shot in the face!
What’s unclear is whether Massey was joking (the deputies are themselves chuckling when they say they don’t want a fire) or whether she was confused or unwell. Even if she was legitimately threatening them with boiling water (which seems unlikely since she’s the one who called them to her…
