Attorney Ben Crump, who is heavily involved in police violence cases against black people and represents the family of victim Sonya Massey, described the killing as “senseless” on Tuesday, July 23. At a press conference, according to the family, police initially tried to downplay their responsibility and pointed the finger at the neighborhood. Sonya Massey, 36, was unarmed during the July 6 incident in Springfield, according to video released by Illinois State Police on Monday.
In a country where the killings of black people or ethnic minorities by white police officers often make headlines, President Joe Biden responded in a statement Monday that the young woman “should still be alive.”
The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office said Sonia Massey called police shortly after midnight on July 6 after suspecting a burglary at her home. Inside, two police officers told them to turn off the boiling water on the stove to “avoid a fire,” according to video footage. She grabbed the pot and one of the officers stepped back. When the woman asked him why, the officer laughed and said, “To get out of her boiling water.”
“unreasonable”
Sonia Massey rebuked him for this attitude, saying twice silently, “Oh, I rebuke you in the name of Jesus. ” ” You shouldn’t. I swear to God I’ll shoot you in the head,” one of the officers replied, pulling out a gun. The woman crouched behind a counter, a pan in her hand. The police then shouted at him: “Drop the pot” and shots rang out. Then they explained that they were afraid of pouring boiling water. One of them, Sean Grayson, was charged with first degree murder.
In September 2023, experts appointed by the UN confirmed that there was “systematic and deeply rooted racism” against the black community within the US police and judicial systems, a “legacy of slavery”.
Jack Campbell, the local sheriff, called the decision to fire “unjustifiable”: The officer “had other options,” he said. “When we call for help, all of us Americans — whoever we are and wherever we live — can do so without fearing for our lives,” President Biden asserted in his statement. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, plans to speak with the victim’s family, Ben Crump said, adding that officials have promised a “fair and transparent” investigation.
In September 2023, UN-appointed experts confirmed that there is “systematic and deeply rooted racism” against the black community within the US police and judicial systems, a “legacy of slavery”. This expert group was created after the death of African American George Floyd, who was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis (Minnesota) in 2020. A tragedy, it sparked massive protests in the United States.
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