Springfield, Illinois—The latest case of anti-police sentiment began with a 911 call from Sonya Massey. She reported hearing suspicious noises on her property to the Sangamon County Sheriff's Department. Deputies arrived, conducted a search, and found nothing suspicious. During their final conversation with Massey, she suddenly moved to throw a pot of boiling water at the deputies.
Body cam footage shows officers excitedly commanding Massey to drop the pot of water. When she didn't comply, Sangamon County Deputy Sean Grayson, 30, shot her in the head with his 9mm service weapon. Massey raised her hands, but it was too late; the bullet killed her instantly.
The incident raises several questions: Whose reflexes were faster, Massey's or Grayson's? Was the shooting a reasonable and justifiable act? Is a pot of boiling water considered a deadly weapon?
Benjamin Crump, a self-proclaimed civil rights attorney, quickly got involved, alleging that Massey was killed by a white officer because of her race. Critics argue that Crump profits from what they call "ghetto lottery" cases by taking on high-profile racially charged civil suits.
This case has been compared to the killing of career criminal and fentanyl addict, George Floyd, a situation that led to significant controversy and the destruction of several police officers' careers.
As the Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels famously said, "If you tell a lie often enough, it becomes the truth." Crump is seen by some as adept at spreading such narratives, and local officials too often feel pressured to settle these cases with taxpayer money.
In a related anecdote from the early 70s, an off-duty Chicago police officer died after his wife threw a pot of boiling water on him during a domestic dispute. The officer quickly succumbed to his injuries, and I was tasked with transporting his body to the Cook County Morgue. The wife was arrested by homicide detectives, but she was later cleared by a jury.
Circuit Judge Ryan M. Cadagin has ordered Grayson to be held in the Sangamon County Jail without bond. The deputy has pled not guilty to the charges. The outcome of this racially charged circus remains to be seen.
