Another name was added last year to the tragic list of African American victims killed by the police in the United States. Sonya Massey was killed in July in her Illinois home by Sean Grayson, a white deputy sheriff, while she was asking for help regarding a suspected intruder. The thirty-six-year-old’s family has now received a $10 million settlement, although this will not be enough to heal the wound that will continue to tear at the relatives and the community.
According to court documents, Massey was shot dead by three bullets, one of which hit her face. The former deputy sheriff Grayson, who was fired shortly after the incident, has been charged with murder and remains in jail awaiting trial, having pleaded not guilty. The images released by the police at the time sparked further outrage over the incident, as they showed the deputy telling Massey, who does not appear to pose any danger to the deputies, that he would “f***ing shoot [her] right in [her] f***ing face” moments before making good on his threat.
The family’s attorney, Ben Crump, emphasized that while the compensation is a sign of recognition for the harm suffered, justice has not yet been served. He reiterated that an officer with a problematic past should never have been hired, let alone given the power to take another person’s life. The lawyer also urged for the adoption of legislative reforms and stricter criminal proceedings for those responsible for such crimes.
Former President Joe Biden also spoke on the matter, stating that the victim’s children deserved justice and that his administration would always firmly condemn these senseless acts of violence.
Sonya Massey’s case is part of a long chain of murders committed by the police against people of color. Names like George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, and Roger Fortson continue to symbolize a system that has yet to find a way to protect everyone equitably.
