Protestors gathered outside of the Sangamon County building on Friday, July 12, 2024 to protest the officer-involved shooting of 36-year-old Sonya Massey who was killed July 6, 2024 after calling 9-1-1 to report a possible intruder. (Source: Screenshot - The State Journal-Register)

Black woman fatally shot by deputies after reporting possible intruder, community demands answers

Springfield, Ill. — An Illinois community called for justice and the release of bodycam video after a Black woman was fatally shot by deputies last week following her call to 9-1-1 reporting a possible intruder at her home.

Sonya Massey, 36, was shot after deputies arrived at her home in Springfield around 1 a.m. on July 6, according to a news release from Illinois State Police (ISP).

In a news release, SCSO said deputies responded to call reporting a prowler.

Around 1:21 a.m. the responding deputies reported shots fired. Massey was shot. She was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Ben Crump, an attorney representing Massey’s family, said in a statement the shooting occurred after Massey called police because she believed there was an intruder in her home.

“It is extremely hard to imagine how a woman who calls the police out of fear of an intruder ends up shot in the head by police at her own home,” Crump said in the statement. “We demand that all body camera footage from this incident be released immediately so that Sonya’s family and the public can see what happened in those thirty deadly minutes. No family should have to endure the pain and suffering that Sonya’s loved ones are experiencing right now.”

On Friday, dozens of protestors gathered outside of the Sangamon County building calling for justice for Massey, and demanded authorities release body camera video of the shooting.

ISP is investigating the shooting at the request of the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office. The agency said body camera video and related information was not being immediately released to “protect the integrity of the legal process.”

More on the fatal shooting investigation and calls for justice.

BLK News Now!

Blog dedicated to news and viewpoints from Black journalists who support, and inform, communities of color.

Original content, and curated articles, are posted and updated daily.

More From Author

A man was arrested on Monday, July 15, 2024 after multiple women's bodies were discovered in a quarry south of Nairobi, Kenya. (Source: Screenshot - KTN News Kenya)

Suspected serial killer in Kenya arrested after murdering 42 women, dumped bodies in quarry

NFL Pro Hall of Famer and former Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis said he was placed in handcuffs and removed from a flight on Saturday, July 13, 2024. (Source: Screenshot - CBS Colorado)

Former NFL player Terrell Davis says he was handcuffed, removed from plane