Murdered in Cold Blood Over a Pot of Water: The Tragic Case of Sonya Massey. A Focused Exam of the Expanding Plague of "Wandering/Roaming Cops". Is it Safe Anymore for Individuals of Color to Call the Police for Help?

Welcome to this incendiary, probing, brand-new installment of Light ‘Em Up.

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In this intensive episode we’ll investigate and unpack the cold-blooded killing of Sonya Massey — a 36-year-old mother of two and resident of Springfield, Illinois. Ms. Massey was concerned for her safety and called law enforcement to her home for protection.

Sonya Massey, was fatally shot in the head by the now terminated and criminally charged former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Sean Grayson in her own kitchen over a pot of water that was heating on the stove.

Today, with all the tangible evidence from a multitude of past deadly incidents with law enforcement — the argument could be made that it no longer seems safe for individuals of color and/or anyone who may be “spiraling downward” in the grips of a mental health crisis to call law enforcement for any assistance.

When a person is stuck in the unrelenting grip of a mental health crisis and they are rapidly spiraling downward — they need help, compassion, empathy and understanding.  They don’t need to be shot in the face and killed.

Law enforcement simply is not trained to properly handle such emergencies. A crystal-clear example of this was what happened to Daniel Prude in Rochester, NY.

Far too often the fact pattern turns out to be identical to the last senseless killing.

The officer dispatched to the call shows up on the scene:

—      terrified (having little direct exposure to those who don’t look identical to him)
—      short on time
—      short on patience
—      and far too often short on the requisite racial sensitivity for the communities they are charged with protecting and serving
—      short on the requisite “humanity” one needs to see people who need help as people, not as constant and potential threats

Many aspects of this case are perverted. This case serves as a textbook example of “officer induced jeopardy”.

As we press deeper, farther and wider we’ll uncover the ever-expanding and troublesome issue of “Wandering/Roaming Cops”.

Wandering/Roaming Cops are law-enforcement officers fired by one department — sometimes for very serious misconduct, who then shortly thereafter find work in another agency.

A perfect example of this would be Timothy Loehman, who shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland, Ohio.

The defendant, Former Deputy Sheriff Sean Grayson, had not one, but two previous DUI convictions and a history of personnel problems, but was still hired by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office.

Through an extensive number of exclusive Freedom of Information Act Requests (FOIA) we’ve obtained the:

💥 direct audio of Sonya Massey’s mother, (Donna Massey) calling 9-1-1 emergency dispatch providing the dispatcher with advanced notice about her daughter’s mental state.

💥 the last extensive communication from Sonya Massey as she called 9-1-1 emergency dispatch to notify them of a “prowler” at or nearby her home.

💥 the troubling, gruesome, audio from the body worn camera video in the kitchen where Ms. Massey was fatefully gunned down.

💥 Finally, Light ‘Em Up was extremely fortunate to receive a sound bite from the Governor of Illinois, the Honorable J.B. Pritzker — specifically on the Massey tragedy.

Don’t move a muscle. Tune in to hear the shocking, sickening facts of this case.

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