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Bodycam video released of deputy fatally shooting a woman who called 911 for help

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

Authorities in Illinois have released video footage of the death of an unarmed Black woman. Thirty-six-year-old Sonya Massey called 911 earlier this month because she thought a prowler was outside her home. The white sheriff's deputy who shot her now faces several counts of murder. From member station WBEZ, reporter Mawa Iqbal has more. And a warning - this story contains sounds of gunfire.

MAWA IQBAL, BYLINE: When Sonya Massey, dressed in pajamas, opened her front door for two sheriff's deputies the night of July 6, she said something tragically prophetic to them.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

SEAN GRAYSON: Why would we hurt you? You called us.

SONYA MASSEY: OK. Please.

GRAYSON: So what'd you hear?

IQBAL: She said, please don't hurt me. But in less than five minutes, Massey would be shot. The officers told Massey they didn't find anyone outside her house. They came inside and chatted with her for a bit when one of the officers noticed a pot of boiling water on her stove. So he asked her to remove it. Massey walked to the kitchen, and as she moved the pot off the stove, she said to the officer, I'm going to rebuke you in the name of Jesus. The officer, with his gun drawn, cursed and yelled at her to put the pot down. As Massey ducked for cover behind her kitchen counter, he fired.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

GRAYSON: Drop it.

(SOUNDBITE OF GUNSHOTS)

IQBAL: The other officer tried to stop the blood flowing from Massey's face. Soon, medical help and other sheriff's deputies arrived.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

GRAYSON: House is clear. She was the only one.

UNIDENTIFIED OFFICER: Where's the gun?

GRAYSON: No. She had boiling water and came at me with boiling water.

UNIDENTIFIED OFFICER: You shot her?

GRAYSON: Yeah.

IQBAL: Yesterday, Massey's father, James Wilburn, overwhelmed with grief and frustration, spoke during a press conference held by the local NAACP.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JAMES WILBURN: This man should have never had a badge. He should have never had a gun. He should have never been given the opportunity to kill my child because he had some serious blemishes on his record - serious.

IQBAL: Sean Grayson was fired from the Sangamon County Sheriff's Department. It was the sixth police department he had worked at in four years. Court records show he'd been arrested twice for driving under the influence. The Sangamon County state's attorney charged Grayson with three counts of first-degree murder. There have been several protests since the shooting, and many elected officials have expressed their outrage and sympathy for Massey's family. In a statement, President Biden called Massey's death a senseless loss and said her family deserves justice. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump has worked with the families of several victims of police violence, including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. He now represents the Massey family.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BEN CRUMP: Sonya's death at the hands of a responding officer reminds us that all too often, Black Americans face fears for their safety in ways many of the rest of us do not.

IQBAL: Last night, dozens of community members and activists gathered at a park near downtown Springfield. Organizer Tiara Standage says the community needs to heal.

TIARA STANDAGE: We don't want any violence in our community. This already has been a terrible act of violence against our community. So we just want to band together peacefully and get justice for Sonya Massey and take care of our community, as well.

IQBAL: Massey's funeral was held Friday. Sean Grayson has pleaded not guilty to the murder charges he faces. He'll remain in jail until a trial is held.

For NPR News, I'm Mawa Iqbal in Springfield, Ill.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Mawa Iqbal