by Royce West
Texas Senate
God forbid that one more family is subjected to the anguish that follows in the wake of the actions of former Sangamon County, Illinois Deputy Sheriff Sean Grayson. Grayson was fired, and now faces murder charges for the callousness he displayed in taking the life of Sonya Massey, a Black woman and mother of two, during the late night, early morning hours of July 6.
It’s appalling to see the final 1-1/2 minutes of Massey’s life following her call to 911, fearing a prowler outside her home. Officers found no evidence of an intruder. The outcome of the encounter however, adds another painful chapter to the saga of how minority citizens are regarded by what we hope are no more than outliers – not yet removed from the ranks of law enforcement.
After telling Massey bluntly that he would shoot her in the face, seconds later, Grayson did just that. Massey’s last terrified words were, “I’m sorry” to Grayson, as she ducked, attempting to escape his line of fire. Grayson intently, stepped forward and to the side in one motion, before firing three, close-range shots across a kitchen counter. Massey’s life is over. African American’s terror rises again.
But how did things go so badly, so quickly, despite the presence of indicators that could have resulted in a different outcome? Massey, alone at home, replied that she was getting dressed when asked why it took so long for her to answer the door. I could agree that it’s proper procedure for officers to inspect inside the house in response to a call about a prowler. As she walked away from the door, Massey could be heard saying “I’ve been taking my meds.” It’s not against the law for a person’s home to appear cluttered, but it could indicate that something may have been amiss with the requestor. Neither was the victim able to locate her ID when asked.
To become a licensed peace officer in Texas, cadets are required to complete 736 hours of training. Active-duty officers must complete 40 continuing education hours every two years. Since passage of the Sandra Bland Act in 2017, all officers must undergo 40 hours of crisis intervention training. Grayson may have heard, but not internalized similar requirements, including instructions that teach de-escalation skills.
But in Texas, Grayson may not have been able to wear a badge after previously pleading guilty to misdemeanor DWI offenses in 2015 and 2016, a third charge was dismissed. Texas law says anyone convicted of a Class B Misdemeanor cannot be licensed as a peace officer. He had also been employed by six Illinois law enforcement agencies over four years; some as a part-time officer, having resigned to hire-on fulltime with another agency. The Logan County Sheriff’s Office recommended Grayson take “high stress decision making classes” after he was involved in a vehicle pursuit call. Grayson was reprimanded for falsifying information on his report.
Changes to Texas law in 2021 and 2023 require a licensing database that will contain all employee files and for a pre-employment background check to be performed before an officer can be hired or licensed. In addition, any administrative or misconduct investigation initiated must be completed, regardless of the officer’s status with the agency.
Grayson would have also violated Texas law, as he did agency policy, for not activating his body camera until after shots were fired. However, his partner’s camera was on. Grayson would have violated another Texas law I authored, that requires officers to render aid to a person injured during an encounter. Grayson also discouraged his partner from doing so, recorded saying, “That’s a headshot. She’s done.”
Reports revealed an attempted cover-up as on-scene officers were overheard on radio saying Massey’s wound was “self-inflicted.” Massey’s father told CBS’ Gayle King that the Sheriff’s department did not initially tell them it was an officer-involved shooting, an account repeated by her 17-year-old son.
While Texas has made improvements to laws to better protect citizens, greater accountability and more training is still needed here and nationally. Atatiana Jefferson was killed in her home. Yes, the officer was later convicted of manslaughter. The officer who shot and killed Botham Jean in his apartment is now in serving a 10-year sentence. And the officer who fired into a car that had already bypassed him before he killed 15-year-old Jordan Edwards was sentenced to 15 years. And not to forget, Brionna Taylor was asleep in bed when officers with bad information ended her life. Notice a pattern?
Twenty-two years after I would pass Texas’ first law on racial profiling that placed cameras in police cars and nine years after a bill I authored created statewide policy and put cameras on officers, James Wilburn, the father of Sonya Massey, was still compelled to say, “Thank God for the body camera footage.”
For more information, please call Kelvin Bass at 214-467-0123.
