Transcript and Analysis – Sonya Massey Shooting Bodycam Footage Transcript – Deputy Sean Grayson and Another Deputy
by Sabrina Dawkins
Summary and Analysis:
The two bodycam videos show different angles and conversations. Bodycam footage for the deputies who responded to Sonya Massey’s call on July 6, 2024, in Woodside Township near Springfield, Illinois, showed a woman confused and frightened by their presence. It took her several minutes to answer the door, and when she did, she kept saying, “Please, God” over and over again. Then she told the deputies that there was a prowler about. Then she told them, “Please don’t hurt me, y’all.”
There was a vehicle in her driveway with busted windows. Nevertheless, she seemed unconcerned, distracted, and didn’t seem to know who the vehicle belonged to. Later, inside, she indicated that it was her vehicle. Her words didn’t make sense: “What do you need help with?” “Nothing. I just wanted to see if y’all could help me.” The deputies had checked around her house and hadn’t found anything suspicious except for the mysterious vehicle with broken windows, and now her behavior. Deputy Grayson suspected something was wrong with Ms. Massey and asked her, “You doing all right mentally?” She responded, “Yes. Took my medicine and stuff.” Grayson then said, “All right. Okay.” And Sonya Massey said, “I love y’all. Thank y’all.”
Grayson inquired again about the vehicle with broken windows and asked Massey for an ID in order to attach a name to the 911 call. Massey went inside to get her ID but then said she had paperwork to show them. Grayson said that he only needed her name, “So we can get out of here.” He asked again about the mysterious damaged vehicle in her driveway: “But what about windows?” And Sonya Massey responded, “Oh, that? It was something that happened earlier.”
The deputy then asked Massey for her last name, but she hesitated. So he said, “Shouldn’t have to think about your last name. You’re not in trouble. I just need to attach…” Massey then gave him her last name. He asked for an ID. But Sonya said, “I don’t know where my ID is.” As she continued to look for it, Grayson said, laughing, to check on the boiling water on the hot stovetop burner, “Because we don’t need a fire while we’re here.” They were standing in the front room next to the open kitchen.
The other deputy walked away from the kitchen when Ms. Massey picked up the pot of boiling water. She asked him, “Where you going?” Massey laughed and answered for the other deputy: “Away from your hot steaming water.” “Away from my hot steaming water?” Massey repeated. “Yeah,” Grayson casually said. “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus. I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” She said this while she still had the pot of boiling water. Grayson’s demeanor immediately changed, as he saw an imminent threat: Not only was the pot of boiling water at her fingertips, but her personality had changed suddenly, drastically, and for no apparent reason. She seemed to be dangerously mentally ill at that point to Grayson—or devious. Perhaps she had only appeared to be harmlessly mentally ill earlier. He later asked Dispatch, “Do we got any call history of her being 10-96?” And when outside a colleague inquired about his well-being, he responded, “Yeah, I’m good. This fucking bitch is crazy.” Concerning his speculation that she was devious, he told a colleague, “Naw, we’re good. I think she set it up on purpose. So (it) is what it is.”
Deputy Grayson’s bodycam video shows (when the speed is reduced to .25 on YouTube) that after Grayson pointed a gun at her, although Ms. Massey initially apologized and crouched to the ground without the pot of boiling water in her hands, with only the oven mitts on her hands, she quickly started to stand back up and reach for something when Grayson walked toward her with his gun drawn. The pictures below show Ms. Massey, after initially crouching, quickly getting back up right before she was shot. Again, you have to slow the speed down significantly to see it.
After Grayson shot her, what looked like steam rose (Grayson’s bodycam). And when the other deputy walked into the kitchen to put pressure on the wound to stop the blood later, the floor was wet. When slowed down to .25, you can see him removing the empty pot that held the boiling water from its position next to her body on the floor. Grayson had commented 40 seconds after shooting Massey, “And, dude, I’m not taking fucking boiling water to the fucking head. And look. It fucking came right to our feet, too,” pointing at the wet floor that reached the border between the front room and the kitchen.
Update 7/25/24: Below, I was able to get a clearer picture, which shows the boiling water pot in Sonya’s hands as Deputy Sean Grayson approached her with his gun drawn in video “Woman Killed By ‘Rebuked’ DUI Offender Deputy After Calling 911 | Sonya Massey Case Analysis” by Dr. Todd Grande, uploaded to YouTube July 24, 2024:
I have transcribed and combined two bodycam recordings, one from each officer.
Audio used in transcription:
bodycam video posted by The Associated and NBC Chicago Staff, published July 22, 2024, updated on July 23, 2024 (length – 7:16), retrieved 7/23/2024 https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/biden-issues-statement-on-police-shooting-of-sonya-massey-in-illinois/3497440/
Bodycam Footage of Deputy Shooting Sonya Massey in Springfield, Illinois
PoliceActivity YouTube upload (length – 18:55), retrieved 7/23/2024 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2rMB2fYjuY&rco=1
GRAPHIC: Body camera video shows deputy fatally shooting a woman in Springfield, Illinois
KSDK News YouTube upload (length – 36:30), retrieved 7/23/2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSN0cqzl__4&rco=1
Transcript:
Officer 1: Oh shit (inaudible) (finds SUV in driveway with busted windows). (inaudible). (knocks on door) There’s a bike sitting back there.
Officer 2: Where?
Officer 1: Uh, on the back door. I don’t know if it’s hers.
Officer 2: (inaudible) (knocks on door). Search warrant (said softly, playfully in a high-pitch voice, not loud enough to be heard through the door).
Officer 1: 3-19.
Officer 2: (inaudible) contact us. But something threw a brick through (inaudible).
Officer 1: You can try and call our 17 back and let her know we’re out front. (inaudible).
Officer 2: (inaudible) Messed that up good. I can hear her phone ringing (knocks on door). (inaudible) your door.
Officer 1: (laughs)
Officer 2: (inaudible). You didn’t see anybody out walking that way, did you?
Officer 1: Naw, not when I came in.
Officer 2: I didn’t see anybody that way.
Officer 1: Okay.
Officer 2: I hear her phone ringing, but she’s refusing to come to the door, so we’re about to go. 10-A. (knocks on door). Don’t know if she’s dead there.
Officer 1: Let’s hope not.
Officer 2: Is this a ring doorbell?
Officer 1: Yeah. It doesn’t work, though.
Sonya Massey: What the fuck is wrong with y’all?
Officer 2: Sheriff’s Office!
Sonya Massey: Hold on.
Officer 1: Two houses down I’d, I would say.
Officer 2: Gotta put her drugs up. Uh, she was yelling inside. She told us to hold on.
Sonya Massey: (inaudible).
Officer 2: You coming to the door or not?
Sonya Massey: I’m coming.
Officer 2: All right. Hurry up.
Officer 1: (inaudible). Just check (inaudible).
Sonya Massey: Who is it?
Officer 2: Sheriff’s Office, the one you called.
Sonya Massey: Please, God. Please, God. Somebody is out here (inaudible). (phone ringtone). Please don’t hurt me, y’all.
Officer 2: I won’t hurt you. You called us.
Sonya Massey: Okay. Please.
Officer 1: We’re not gonna hurt you.
Officer 2: So what did you hear?
Sonya Massey: Um, somebody is outside my house, y’all.
Officer 2: Uh-huh (affirmative).
Sonya Massey: Please, uh, please.
Officer 2: Is this your car over here?
Sonya Massey: Please, God. Please, God. Please.
Officer 2: Is, is this your car over here?
Sonya Massey: Uh-huh (negative).
Officer 2: Oh.
Sonya Massey: Please, God. Please, God.
Officer 2: That’s not your black car in the driveway?
Sonya Massey: Mm-mm (negative).
Officer 2: Oh. Well, we checked your yard. We walked around the whole block. We didn’t see anybody.
Sonya Massey: Mm-mm (negative).
Officer 2: All right. You know, we don’t… We checked the whole area. There’s nobody out walking around.
Sonya Massey: I know, y’all. Please, God. Please, God. I’m trying to get help, y’all, but—
Officer 2: What do you need help with?
Sonya Massey: Nothing. I just—Please, God. Please, God. Please. I don’t know what to do.
Officer 2: Do with what?
Sonya Massey: Huh?
Officer 1: What do you need help with?
Sonya Massey: Nothing. I just wanted to see if y’all could help me.
Officer 2: What do you want help with?
Sonya Massey: Huh?
Officer 2: What do you want help with?
Sonya Massey: Huh? I heard somebody outside.
Officer 2: Yeah. We checked your house. We checked your backyard. I walked all the way through all these backyards. We checked your front yard.
Officer 1: We didn’t see nobody, so—
Officer 2: Yeah, nobody’s out here.
Sonya Massey: You didn’t see anybody?
Officer 2: No.
Officer 1: Nope.
Sonya Massey: Oh.
Officer 2: We checked the whole area.
Sonya Massey: Okay.
Officer 2: What took you so long to answer the door?
Sonya Massey: Oh, I was trying to put on some clothes, sir. I’m sorry. I was trying to get dressed.
Officer 2: I gotcha. All right. Is there anything else we can do for you?
Sonya Massey: Huh?
Officer 2: Is there anything else I can do for you?
Sonya Massey: Oh, no sir.
Officer 2: Okay.
Officer 1: Okay. All right.
Officer 2: You doing all right mentally?
Sonya Massey: Yes.
Officer 2: You sure?
Sonya Massey: Took my medicine and stuff.
Officer 2: All right. Okay.
Sonya Massey: I love y’all. Thank y’all.
Officer 1: Okay.
Officer 2: All right (laughs). That’s not (laughs) your black car, though, the SUV?
Sonya Massey: Mm-mm (negative).
Officer 2: Whose is it?
Sonya Massey: Uh, mm.
Officer 2: You don’t know? Someone just parked it in your driveway (laughs)?
Sonya Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative). They brought it to my driveway.
Officer 1: And just left it?
Sonya Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Officer 2: Yeah, let’s go around back.
Officer 1: Yeah. 9-10. I got a 23.
Officer 2: Does anyone else live here with you?
Sonya Massey: Um, somebody else, my kids (inaudible).
Officer 1: David Mary 43556.
Officer 2: You live here by yourself other than that?
Sonya Massey: Yep, yep.
Officer 2: Have you got a, a name? You got an ID or something? Can I get your name real quick to attach to this, say who we spoke to?
Sonya Massey: (phone ringing) Wait one second, okay?
Officer 2: Yeah.
Sonay Massey: One second.
Officer 2: (inaudible).
Sonya Massey: (inaudible).
Officer 2: Okay.
Sonya Massey: (inaudible).
Officer 2: Yeah.
Officer 1: (inaudible).
Sonya Massey: (inaudible).
Officer 2: (inaudible).
Sonya Massey: My paperwork. (inaudible). One moment, one moment. (ringtone) Hold on, y’all. They calling me back. I know that y’all here. Hold up. Hey. Hello?
Phone Male: Sonya?
Sonya Massey: Yeah, I need, um… I got the Sheriff’s Department here, but I was calling for help from y’all.
Phone Male: Okay. Are you there with the sheriff (inaudible)?
Sonya Massey: They’re here at my house right now.
Phone Male: Okay. I’m gonna let you go so you can talk to them.
Sonya Massey: Hold on. Wait a second. Wait a second, sir.
Officer 2: You can hang up (inaudible).
Phone Male: (inaudible). You’re there with the deputies, correct?
Sonya Massey: No. Hold on, okay?
Officer 2: You can hang up.
Phone Male: Hold on for what?
Sonya Massey: I just… One second, okay? Uh, I got some more (inaudible).
Officer 2: (inaudible).
Sonya Massey: Okay.
Officer 2: What’s up?
Sonya Massey: Um, I got some paperwork. Can you grab that Bible, please?
Officer 2: Yeah. Hey, I just need your name so we can get out of here. Has there—Was there any damage previous to your car?
Sonya Massey: Uh, previous? Yeah, it was.
Officer 2: Okay, what was the damage?
Sonya Massey: A dent, I believe.
Officer 2: But what about windows?
Sonya Massey: Oh, that? It was something that happened earlier.
Officer 2: Okay. Perfect. Uh, what is your last name?
Sonya Massey: Well…
Officer 2: Shouldn’t have to think about your last name.
Sonya Massey: (inaudible).
Officer 2: You’re not in trouble. I just need (laughs) to attach—
Sonya Massey: Massey.
Officer 2: Huh?
Sonya Massey: Massey.
Officer 2: You have an ID? That’d make things so much easier.
Sonya Massey: (sighs) Jesus.
Officer 2: I, I (laughs) just need to get just a driver’s license will do, and I’ll get out of your hair.
Sonya Massey: I wanna show y’all my paperwork.
Officer 2: I will—We’ll get your paperwork.
Sonya Massey: Okay.
Officer 1: What, what paperwork?
Sonya Massey: I got some paperwork from—
Officer 2: Well, just get your ID real quick (inaudible).
Officer 1: Well, let’s get your ID first, and then…
Officer 2: One task at a time, here.
Sonya Massey: Okay. Let me find it.
Officer 2: Okay, grab your ID for me.
Sonya Massey: Uh-huh (affirmative). Okay.
Officer 2: Your ID. One task at a time. So let’s do an ID, and then you can dig around for your, uh, paperwork.
Sonya Massey: I don’t know where my ID is.
Officer 2: Um—
Officer 1: Is that in that stack right there, maybe?
Sonya Massey: Okay. One second.
Officer 2: Just check on the water (laughs).
Sonya Massey: Lemme get this.
Officer 2: Because we don’t need a fire while we’re here.
Sonya Massey: Right. Lemme see.
Officer 2: Don’t (inaudible) (laughs).
Sonya Massey: Where you going?
Officer 2: (laughs) Huh?
Sonya Massey: Where you going?
Officer 2: Away from your hot steaming water.
Sonya Massey: Away from my hot steaming water?
Officer 2: Yeah.
Sonya Massey: Ah, I rebuke you in the name of Jesus. I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.
Officer 2: You better fucking not. I swear to God I’ll fucking shoot you right in your fucking face.
Sonya Massey: I—Okay. I’m sorry.
Officer 2: Drop the fucking pot!
Officer 1: Drop the fucking…
Sonya Massey: (crouches behind counter). (counter obscures view behind it, where Sonya is)
Officer 2: Drop the fucking pot! Drop it! (Sonya stands up quickly, as viewed through Officer 2’s bodycam) (three gunshots) Drop the fucking pot!
Officer 1: (inaudible) Shot’s fired.
Officer 2: Shots fired!
Officer 1: (inaudible)
Officer 2: Shots fired! Drop the fucking pot! (steam rises from the floor. Counter still obstructing view). Bring EMS now! We got a headshot wounded female! Headshot wounded female! 10-78. Fuck.
Officer 1: I was on. I was up. I’m gonna go get my kit.
Officer 2: Naw. Headshot, dude. She, she’s done. You can go get it, but that’s a headshot.
Officer 1: Fuck.
Officer 2: Goddamnit.
Officer 1: God. Fuck.
Officer 2: And, dude, I’m not taking fucking boiling water to the fucking head. And look. It fucking came right to our feet, too. (referring to water now on the floor) Goddamnit.
Officer 1: Fuck. Goddamnit.
Officer 2: You good?
Officer 1: I’m good. You good?
Officer 2: Yeah. I’m good. Holster it up. Let her fucking just—
Officer 1: God!
Officer 2: There’s nothing we could do, man.
Officer 1: Fuck!
Officer 2: You good?
Officer 1: I’m good.
Officer 2: All right. Fuck. Welp, I mean, you know, what else do we do? I’m not taking hot boiling water to the fucking face, and it already reached us.
Officer 1: Fuck. They got a 52 in route?
Officer 2: Yeah. 10-78. 318. She’s still breathing, but she’s losing a lot of blood from the head. I’ll go get my med kit. I mean—
Officer 1: Go, go get—Yeah. Hurry up and get your med kit.
Officer 2: I mean, there’s not much we can do.
(Officer 1 is inside. Officer 2 walks outside)
Officer 2: Fuck!
Officer 1: We can at least try and hold the—stop the blood. (bodycam shows wet kitchen floor). (inaudible).
Officer 2: 318. Do we got any call history of her being 10-96? (sirens). I’ll explain why. Negative. She’s in the kitchen. Just, uh, just, just, uh, sergeant and who—Uh, no. Let’s just chill out, out here. Just Serg for right now.
Officer 3: Are you guys secure?
Officer 2: Yeah, we’re secure
Officer 3: You need the back covered?
Officer 2: No, it’s just her in the house. She’s 10-96. (sirens).
Officer 1: Come on. Come on. Where’s he at? Come on. She’s still gasping a little bit.
Officer 2: We got EMS coming (inaudible).
(Officer 2 comes back inside)
Officer 1: You wanna hand me another rag up there? Up there, to your right. Right there.
Officer 2: Is there anything you think we can do for her?
Officer 4: No.
Officer 2: All right. If not, (inaudible) I’m not even gonna waste my med stuff, then. You wanna rundown real quick?
Officer 4: Nope, not yet.
Officer 2: All right. House is clear. She was the only one.
Officer 4: Where’s the gun?
Officer 2: No, she had boiling water and came at me with boiling water.
Officer 4: You shot her?
Officer 2: Yeah. She said she was gonna rebuke me in the name of Jesus and came at me with boiling water. That’s what all this is. I was standing right here.
Officer 4: All right.
Officer 2: And that’s where these landed.
Officer 5: Okay, what do y’all need from us?
Officer 2: Just nothing right now. Just hang out right there for me. Thank you.
Officer 5: All right.
(Officer 2 goes outside)
(omitted: multiple officers talking outside)
Officer 2: Yeah, I’m good. This fucking bitch is crazy.
(omitted: officers talking outside, securing the perimeter)
Officer 2: You got enough? If not, I got a roll. (inaudible) I think I’ll run it across at least the front, here. Where do you want it, ah, just around the house?
Unidentified Officer: Yeah (inaudible).
Officer 2: You guys can go inside.
EMS Male: Okay.
(omitted: multiple officers talking outside)
Unidentified Officer: That’s my fault, man. I didn’t know, I didn’t know it was gonna (inaudible).
Officer 2: Naw, dude, it was good. Like, it fucking happened so goddamn quick that we didn’t have the time to fucking call shit out that it was me and (inaudible).
Unidentified Officer: Yeah, that’s why we were—I was trying to figure out and make sure if we needed to look for someone.
Officer 2: Naw, we’re good. I think that she set it up on purpose, so is what it is.
(omitted: officers talking outside)
(Meanwhile, Officer 1 is inside)
Officer 1: You still want me holding this pressure?
Officer 4: Yeah. EMS is coming.
Officer 1: She’s still gasping.
Officer 4: Okay.
Unidentified Officer: Breathing?
Officer 1: She’s, she’s still gasping a little bit.
Unidentified Officer: All right.
Officer 4: Do you know where she’s been hit?
Officer 1: I think in the eye.
(crosstalk)
Officer 4: What?
Officer 1: I think in the eye. I don’t—I’m not for sure.
Officer 4: Oh.
(omitted: EMS arrives and discusses moving Sonya out of the house and into the ambulance)