Ben Crump says Justice Department will investigate Sonya Massey shooting

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: USA Today

Published 10:01 a.m. ET July 23, 2024 | Updated 9:45 p.m. ET July 23, 2024


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the shooting of Sonya Massey, a Black woman who was fatally shot inside her home by a former Illinois sheriff's deputy earlier this month, civil rights attorney Ben Crump announced.

Crump said Tuesday that the case is now part of a Justice Department investigation, but noted that he didn't know the probe's scope or who might be involved. The investigation comes a day after Illinois State Police publicly released body camera footage of the shooting.

The 36-minute body camera footage shows the rapid escalation that led former Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy Sean P. Grayson to shoot Massey, 36, inside her home in Springfield, Illinois. Grayson and another deputy responded to Massey's house on July 6 after she called 911 to report a possible intruder. In the body camera video, Grayson yells at Massey over moving a pot of boiling water from the stove to the sink.

He then threatens to shoot her in the face and screams at her to drop the pot. The video shows Massey ducking before Grayson fires at her three times, including a fatal shot to the head. Grayson, 30, of Riverton, has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery, and official misconduct. He remains in custody without bail.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/07/23/sonya-massey-shooting-body-camera-video/74508313007/

[Think. Again.]

1. Excellent!

Now do trump's recent Logan act violation with netanyahu.

[sop]

2. It was an execution.

[NH Ethylene]

3. Not sure what there is to investigate.

It's all on video and he's been charged with murder.

Perhaps investigating how someone with his dismal record could get job after job would be helpful. Or investigating the climate of aggressive racism in police departments could help.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. "Not sure what there is to investigate."

Civil Rights violations, which is under the purview of DOJ (including "hate crimes" ).

There was a breaking news banner that popped up on my iPad from CNN about 30 minutes ago that indicated that the cop had been moved around to 6 different LE organizations over a span of 4 years.

THAT has been a HUGE and chronic problem where bad/rogue cops who are fired or forced to resign, end up at some other police department to continue their bad behavior. Over and over and over.

There had been a push to get some kind of national "centralized" database of such cops but you can imagine that such a thing went over like a lead balloon.

[sop]

8. Cops will usually resign before internal investigations are completed.

After they're gone, departments drop internal investigations and the cops are free to find employment elsewhere. This has to stop. All police investigations must be handled by completely independent agencies, not the departments themselves or the local district attorney.

[BumRushDaShow]

10. Well many cities including my own

have tried "citizen complaint review boards" or equivalent and they have ended up with mixed results and/or were disbanded.

Because. POLICE UNION.

The one thing that I have posted often is how Ghouliani stoked a riot in NYC, before he became mayor, in opposition of exactly that type of "review board" over 30 years ago -

It's remarkable the power that they wield, often beyond any other type of union when it comes to municipal services.

[70sEraVet]

4. There should be a federal, nonpartisen board examining EVERY.....

death at the hands of law enforcement. Holding cops accountable is the only way to reestablish confidence in our law enforcement agencies, and to prevent the kind of state-wide terror that was rampant during the civil-rights era.

[Shipwack]

7. Agree 100%

However, I seriously don't know if there are enough hours in a day to review all of them constructively...

[kimbutgar]

6. She made some religious comment and that set off the officer

[ScratchCat]

9. I'm a little confused

The article says the officer was fired and is awaiting trial for 1D murder, aggravated battery and official misconduct. He's being held without bail. Doesn't seem like DOJ has any place here.

[Miguelito Loveless]

11. It does if there is a question of her federal civil rights

being violated.