Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with the family of Sonya Massey, a Black woman shot and killed by police in her home earlier this month. According to Harris’s office, she expressed her heartfelt condolences to the family and assured them of her full support.
Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman, called 911 to report a prowler outside her Springfield, Illinois home. Police arrived but found no prowler. Body camera footage released by Illinois State Police showed Sean Grayson, a Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy who has since been fired, shooting Massey three times. An autopsy report revealed that she died from a gunshot wound to her head.
The video showed officers speaking with Massey, and the situation escalated when she took a pot of water off her stove. Grayson can be heard cursing at Massey, threatening to shoot her. Grayson, who is white, has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct.
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Earlier this week, Harris issued a statement saying Massey deserved to be safe and expressing grief over her senseless death. President Joe Biden also issued a statement, saying Massey’s family deserves justice and reiterating his call for Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a major police reform bill named after the Minnesota man whose killing by a police officer in 2020 sparked nationwide protests.
