On Friday, Vice President Kamala Harris called the family of Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman who was shot by a sheriff’s deputy in her Illinois home, according to Massey’s family members who spoke to NBC News.
Massey, 36, was killed July 6 after she called the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office because she was afraid there might be a prowler outside, according to an attorney for her family and Illinois State Police.
“It’s made me feel a lot better today,” James Wilburn, Massey’s father, said. “She gave us her heartfelt condolences, and she let us know that she is with us 100%, that this senseless killing must stop.”
Shadia Massey, a cousin of Sonya Massey, said Harris’ call moved her deeply.
“That call right there meant the world to my family right now,” she said. “I mean, it definitely broke every last one of us down. Out of all the phone calls, all the thousands and thousands of messages, and phone calls and inboxes, this one here really meant the world to our family.”
Massey went on to describe being emotional at hearing Harris speak.
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“It was her voice for me,” she said. “It was just me, being Shadia Massey, and I was able to speak with the vice president of the United States. For her to take time out of her busy schedule, to just make that one little phone call to our family, that meant the world to me. That’s the most amazing thing that’s ever happened in my life.”
Body camera video released Monday showed Grayson and his partner speaking with Massey outside her home, then going inside.
The situated appeared to escalate when Massey moved a pot off her stove. Grayson cursed at Massey, telling her “you better f---ing not. I swear to God I will f---ing shoot you right in your f---ing face.” Both deputies screamed at Massey to drop the pot before Grayson opened fire.
Grayson was fired and indicted on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct. He has pleaded not guilty.
Massey's father said Harris also talked about changing the way officers can be hired.
“This shopping from job to job, we’ve got to do something about stopping these people from being able to go from one department to the next department, being passed around in order to save money by not sending people through the academy,” he said of what Harris told him. “You’re allowed to resign from one department, and then you get a job in the next department. And if that would stop then my daughter would still be alive. This person should have never carried a badge and a gun. Never.”
Benjamin Crump, the nationally known civil rights attorney working with the Massey family, said Friday that Harris talked to the family about the need to pass the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act, a bill that would create a federal registry of police officers and their records.
“She said unfortunately they still have to keep fighting for that,” Crump said.
He also said that Harris spent the most time speaking with Sonya Massey’s son Malachi.
Malachi Hill Massey, who lost his mother, said he cried throughout the call.
“I really don’t have no words,” he said. “I got very emotional. Like, I don’t know. I started crying. Like this, this is crazy. I don’t have no words for this, honestly.”
This is a breaking news story and will continue to be updated.
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