Camera Footage Released by Illinois State Police Show that Her Hands Was In the Air

Police body camera footage of the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, an unarmed Black woman who was shot in her own home by a deputy after calling 911 to report a possible intruder, was released by the Illinois State Police Monday afternoon.

The video, reviewed by ABC News, shows Massey, 36, being shot in the face by former Illinois Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson. Grayson, 30, who is white, has since been charged with three counts of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct, to which he pleaded not guilty. He has been fired from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office.

According to charging documents filed in Sangamon County Court, Grayson allegedly shot Massey in the face after the deputy “aggressively yelled” at her to put down a pot of boiling water. Grayson replied “You better [expletive] not, I swear to [expletive] God I’ll shoot you right in your [expletive] face,” and immediately proceeded to draw his gun.

Massey covered her face with a red oven mitt as she ducked down and apologized. Grayson told her to “drop the [expletive] pot” three times before he shot her. Grayson and a second deputy who has not yet been named were dispatched to Massey’s Springfield, Illinois, residence at about 12:50 a.m. on July 6 to investigate a possible prowler, according to the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office.

Grayson only activated his body-worn camera after the shooting. The other deputy had activated his camera when he arrived at the scene, according to charging documents filed against Grayson in Sangamon County Court.

Court documents describe Massey as “calm, perhaps unwell, not aggressive” at the time that the deputies responded to her call for help. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, told ABC News that Massey struggled with her mental health. Crump described the body-worn camera footage of Massey’s death as “extremely graphic.” He will join the family to address the media Monday afternoon in a news conference, where mental health professionals will be present to counsel attendees due to the graphic nature of the video.

Grayson allegedly discouraged his partner from retrieving a medical kit to render first aid to Massey after the shooting because he allegedly thought the injuries were too severe to revive her, according to prosecutors.

In the video, Grayson tells the second deputy that “she’s done” when he says he’s going to get his med kit immediately after Massey is shot.

“No, head shot, dude. She’s done. You can go get it, but that’s a headshot,” Grayson said. “What else do we do? I’m not taking pot boiling water to the [expletive] face and it already reached us.”