(NewsNation) — The family of Sonya Massey and its lawyer, Ben Crump, responded to the request made by the union representing Sangamon County sheriff’s deputies at a press conference Tuesday.
The union requested that Sean Grayson, a former deputy for the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office in Springfield, Illinois, be reinstated and reimbursed his wages.
Rev. Al Sharpton was among those present at the media conference before a “Remembering Sonya Massey” ceremony at New Mount Pilgrim Church in Chicago.
Massey was fatally shot by Grayson in the early hours of July 6, approximately 30 minutes after Grayson and his partner arrived at her home following a distress call made by the late mother.
The grievance was filed July 18 by the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council, but the same body later said it would not pursue Grayson’s reinstatement.
Crump, during the presser, said, “Until we get full justice for Sonya Massey, we rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” using Massey’s last words before she was shot.
He added, “They never told her it was the cop who shot her,” and also said, “She needed a helping hand, not a bullet to the face.”
Crump also noted that the family found out about the shooting from the press 24 hours later, emphasizing, “We must continue to say her name.”
Sharpton expressed his outrage, comparing it to his reaction when he saw the video of George Floyd. He criticized “the negligence of this government’s response,” referring to the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act that has not passed.
In bodycam footage of the shooting, Massey, who had suffered mental health issues, appears confused and says, “Don’t hurt me.” Grayson responds at times condescendingly or impatiently.
In a sudden escalation, Grayson shot Massey three times, with one fatal blow to the head, as she worked with a boiling pot of water.
In the initial statement about the event, officials did not make it clear a deputy shot Massey. That piece of information was confirmed by county officials a couple of days later.
Grayson was fired from the department and has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct.
Grayson was vetted and approved for hiring by Sangamon County in May 2023 despite two drunk-driving convictions, the first of which got him ejected from the Army for “serious misconduct,” and having six jobs in four years, including as a sheriff’s deputy in Logan County, where he was reprimanded for ignoring a command to end a high-speed chase and ended up hitting a deer.
Sharpton continued, “We also want to see the laws changed. You cannot be switching precincts. A bad cop is a bad cop.” He questioned, “If she had issues, what were his issues?” and pointed out, “They always ask what is wrong with the victim. They never ask what is wrong with the system.”
Sharpton acknowledged that the governor had met with the family but insisted on the need to go further.
“We need to prevent law enforcement from switching from district to district and make it transparent. They can do that now in Illinois, but we will keep pushing nationally,” Sharpton said.
Grayson has pleaded not guilty and is being held in the Sangamon County Jail without bond. If convicted, he faces prison sentences of 45 years to life for murder, six to 30 years for battery, and two to five years for misconduct.
Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell apologized to the community during a gathering Monday night, saying, “I offer up no excuses.”
Campbell faced a hostile crowd of more than 500 people at Union Baptist Church in a meeting facilitated by the Community Relations Service of the Justice Department, according to local media reports.
“I stand here today before you with arms wide open, and I ask for your forgiveness,” an emotional Campbell said. “I ask Ms. Massey and her family for forgiveness. I offer up no excuses. What I do is offer our attempt to do better, to be better.”
Malachi Hill Massey, Sonya’s son and the first to know about her death, shared, “My mother was everything to me. They called me at 5 in the morning. They didn’t say who shot her. I thought an intruder came and shot her. I would’ve never in the world thought the police would shoot her. How? How?”
Raymond Massey, Sonya’s uncle, said, “Sonya was a beautiful Black queen. Sonya loved her kids. Please keep your thoughts and prayers with my family.”
NewsNation local affiliate WCIA and The Associated Press contributed to this report.