The shocking bodycam footage of Sonya Massey, a black woman from Illinois, being shot and killed by a white police officer has made shockwaves around the world. The release of the video has been delayed at the request of Massey's family, but was published Monday afternoon to the Illinois State Police's YouTube account. The video starts with two deputies arriving on Massey's doorstep in Springfield on July 6, after she called 911 to report a possible prowler in the area at around 1am. 

The altercation begins after Deputy Sean Grayson noticed there was a pot on the stove. She and Grayson seemed to share a laugh over her pan of “steaming hot water.” Grayson said at the time, “We don't need a fire while we're here.” She then appeared to take it off the stove and told Grayson, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”

This is when Grayson pulled out his handgun and said: “I swear to God I'll shoot you in your f***king face.” Both officers- who at that point had their weapons unholstered - ordered her to drop the pot. She then apologized for what she said and ducked behind  the counter. He then pulled his 9mm pistol and shot at Massey three times. The third bullet reached her head and fatally wounded her.

Grayson then yelled: “I can't take hot boiling water to the f**king face.” He would later go on to call Massey "f**king crazy," the body camera footage shows. Prosecutors said Grayson also discouraged the other deputy from getting his medical kit. “The other deputy still rendered aid and stayed with Ms. Massey until medical help arrived,” First Assistant State's Attorney Mary Rodgers wrote. She added that Grayson “at no time attempted to render aid to Ms. Massey.” When police finally arrived, Grayson tried to justify his actions by saying “she said she was going to rebuke me in the name of Jesus and came at me with boiling water.”

But the deputy refused to turn on his own body camera until after he had already shot Massey. Amid the uproar, Sheriff Jack Campbell said that Grayson “did not act as trained or in accordance with our standards" and his actions "do not reflect the values and training of the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office or law enforcement as a whole.” Grayson had been working at the sheriff's department since May 2023, and had been in law enforcement since August 2020. He was hired despite previous DUIs. He has since been fired from the department and was charged with three counts of first degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct. Grayson will be held in jail until he faces trial, after a county judge agreed on Thursday that he is a risk to the community, according to News Channel 20. If convicted, Grayson faces life in prison. 

Meanwhile, Massey's family held funeral services for heron Friday, where they were accompanied by civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump. Crump has represented many the families of many black police shooting victims, including Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. President Joe Biden has also released a statement saying he was “heartbroken” over the killing.

Massey's daughter has confirmed to The Guardian that her mother was a paranoid-schizophrenic. Speaking to CBS News, her son Malachi Hill-Massey,17, spoke lovingly about his mother. “She was very smart and always helped everybody but herself. Just a ball of love, honestly, to me. She cooked me the best food. I love her food, honestly,” he said. “She's just the most loving person ever. I don't know. That's the person that made me just feel so loved.”