The death of Sonya Massey, 36, over the Independence Day weekend has resulted in criminal charges against one of the responding officers and has garnered condemnation from President Joe Biden.
Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson has been dismissed from the police force and charged with murder and official misconduct. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and, as of Monday, was being held without bond.
On Monday, Illinois State Police made public bodycam footage showing officers shouting at Ms Massey to put down a pot of boiling water while aiming their pistols at her.
The incident began in the early hours of 6 July when Ms Massey called the police to her home in Springfield, 200 miles (320km) south of Chicago, reporting a suspected break-in. Deputies followed her inside as she searched for her identification.
In the video, Mr Grayson notices a pot on the stove, gestures towards it, and says, “We don’t need a fire while we’re here.” Ms Massey approaches the stove to remove the pot, and she and Mr Grayson briefly laugh about the "steaming hot water." She then says twice, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”
Mr Grayson responds, “You better [expletive] not or I swear to God I’ll [expletive] shoot you in your [expletive] face,” before drawing his pistol and shouting for her to drop the pot. Ms Massey is heard apologising before she ducks, and Mr Grayson subsequently fires his weapon.
After the shooting, Mr Grayson says, “What else do we do? I’m not taking hot [expletive] boiling water to the [expletive] face.”
On Monday, the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office stated that Mr Grayson was not justified in his use of force against Ms Massey.
President Biden expressed his heartbreak over the incident, stating, “Sonya Massey, a beloved mother, friend, daughter, and young Black woman, should be alive today. Sonya’s death at the hands of a responding officer reminds us that all too often Black Americans face fears for their safety in ways many of the rest of us do not.”
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul described the footage as “horrific” in a statement, urging calm as the matter progresses through the criminal justice system.
Lawyers for Ms Massey's family have praised the prosecutors for their prompt action against Mr Grayson.