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* SJ-R…
Ahead of body camera footage of the fatal shooting of Springfield woman Sonya Massey being released, here’s a timeline of the events in the fatal shooting.
Timeline
Around 12:50 a.m., July 6: Two Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputies, including defendant Sean P. Grayson, were called to a home in the 2800 block of Hoover Avenue in an unincorporated part of Woodside Township for a possible intruder. According to court documents, they made contact with the 911 caller, Sonya Massey, who appeared to be “calm, perhaps unwell, not aggressive.”
While another deputy was clearing the house, Grayson began “aggressively yelling” at Massey to put down a pot of boiling water she removed from her stove, although he had given her permission to do so.
Despite being in another room, Grayson drew his weapon and threatened to shoot Massey in the face. According to documents, Massey put her hands in the air, said “I’m sorry” and ducked for cover.
Grayson fired three shots, striking Massey once in the face.
The Illinois State Police conducted the investigation. Grayson was fired and indicted on three 1st Degree Murder charges.
The video is here. Deep breaths before commenting please.
As Illinois seeks to end federal court oversight of its disability services, an independent court monitor says the state continues to fall short of promises made 13 years ago to allow people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live outside of institutions.
Court hearings are set to begin this week as to whether the state will be released from what’s known as the Ligas consent decree. The consent decree originated from a 2005 lawsuit alleging that Illinois’ insufficient funding for community living options led to the segregation of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Due to the lack of support for living in the community, many were forced to seek care in large, hospital-like facilities. The lawsuit argued this violated a landmark 1999 U.S. Supreme Court decision in a case against Georgia, which mandated states accommodate individuals in the most integrated setting of their choosing.
In 2011, to settle the Ligas case, the state agreed to undergo a major expansion of its community-based services. And in December, the state filed a motion to vacate the consent decree, accompanied by a lengthy report stating it had exceeded its commitments despite that its system of care is “not and will never be perfect.”
But Ronnie Cohn, the monitor and a New York-based expert on disability services, told the court that too many people still can’t access community-based services in Illinois, especially those in crisis or who have more complex medical and behavioral support needs. […]
Cohn said situations like this are not unique and illustrate why the consent decree is still needed. She highlighted numerous other cases of individuals covered by the consent decree who had faced barriers to moving out of state-run facilities. She faulted a death of community services available to support them and poor planning by state staff who are supposed to help facility residents find community placements and develop the skills needed to live more independently.
* Crain’s | Pritzker endorses Harris bid for presidency: In the statement, Pritzker explained why he did not follow other top democrats in endorsing Harris on Sunday following Biden’s shocking exit that upended the presidential race, saying he is “cognizant of the unique role we play here in Illinois as hosts of the Democratic National Convention.” […] “When I spoke to Vice President Harris, I told her that President Biden’s selfless decision came as a genuine surprise. I have worked hard during my time as Governor of Illinois to try and bring a sober and mature approach to decision-making,” Pritzker said. “It’s important to be thoughtful about what’s next for the Democratic Party and for the country, which is why I spent hours yesterday talking to fellow leaders in our Party getting and giving input about the road to victory in November. ”
* Sun-Ties | Pritzker, Durbin, Duckworth join chorus of Illinois support for Kamala Harris as president: The Democratic Party of Illinois, which had told delegates to “hold back from reacting publicly” on Sunday, released a full-throated endorsement on Monday: “The Democratic Party stands united in our belief that Vice President Kamala Harris is uniquely qualified to lead our nation forward.”
* BND | Southwest Illinois elected leaders react to Biden’s decision to halt campaign: U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois:“No one has done more for working Americans than Joe Biden — and so many of us owe him a debt of gratitude for everything he’s done to improve our country. “Over more than 50 years in public service, he’s built an unparalleled record of accomplishments. From helping write the Violence Against Women Act in the Senate to shepherding the Affordable Care Act into law as Vice President and from helping guide our nation out of a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic to overseeing historic wage and job growth during his Presidency, Joe Biden has always put our country first and worked to change so many aspects of our lives for the better.
* WCIA | Pritzker, Illinois politicians endorse Kamala Harris for president: Illinois Speaker of the House Chris Welch (D-Westchester), the first African-American speaker in Illinois history, said Harris has his full support. “There is no greater celebration of Black excellence than nominating Kamala Harris to lead our party forward,” Welch said. “This November, we choose unity. We choose democracy, justice, and the rule of law. We choose women’s rights, voting rights, and civil rights. And that is why we choose Kamala Harris to serve as President of the United States.”
* WICS | Biden drops out, Illinois election officials clarify next steps for ballots : The Illinois State Board of Elections said since there is no official democratic nominee yet, it doesn’t make a difference on the ballot. Election officials said when a nominee is chosen at the Democratic National Convention, that nominee will be certified to the State Board of Elections. “Our board on August 23 will certify the statewide ballot and they will certify the names of the candidates for president to that ballot,” Matt Dietrich, Public Information Officer for the Illinois State Board of Elections, said.
* Tom Kacich | Dems have big cash leads in area state legislative contests: State Sen. Paul Faraci, D-Champaign, has a more than 20-to-1 lead on 52nd District Republican challenger Jeff Brownfield, also of Champaign. Faraci faces his first election since being appointed to replace the late Sen. Scott Bennett, who died of a brain tumor on Dec. 9, 2022. And Jarrett Clem, an electrician and Parkland College board member from rural St. Joseph, has a fundraising advantage of more than $100,000 in his 104th House District campaign against state Rep. Brandun Schweizer, R-Danville.
* Block Club | As Tent City Grows In Humboldt Park, Alderperson Aims To Open Homeless Shelter Nearby: Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th) has worked with various city departments to open a non-congregate homeless shelter since last year. Last month, she started a petition urging the city to invest in buying and rehabbing a building for that purpose, identifying a building at 2704 W. North Ave. as a possible site. The three-story building, which used to be a community center run by New Life Covenant church, has been for sale since at least 2021. It’s large enough to have 50-60 rooms for single people, couples or families, Fuentes said. It also has a basement, gym, cafeteria and commercial bathrooms on every floor, and it is in a TIF district, making it a good fit for the shelter, she said.
* WBEZ | From regular doctor visits to injured protesters, here’s how Chicago’s hospitals are preparing for the DNC: Three of the busiest hospitals in the city are about a 20-minute walk from the arena on the Near West Side — Rush University Medical Center, Cook County’s John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital and UI Health. They have spent months preparing for the what ifs, from an explosion or a chemical attack to a mass shooting or dozens of people getting pepper-sprayed.
* Sun-Times | As Angel Reese’s fame soars, she isn’t changing who she is: Angel Reese is an early-onset boss. She wants you to see her freedom. What that looks like in the form of a female basketball player. A Black one. A proud one. It’s the ownership of her blackness that people resent. Usually, this is when the code switch happens. This, for so many Black athletes entering the beginning stages of superstarness, is when the selling out of self and separation from their people begins. Not she.
* Sun-Times | Alanis Morissette ‘oughta know’ how much millennials revere her after Pitchfork set: In a weekend that was hit-or-miss with attendance, the Canadian songwriting queen drew not only the biggest crowd of the three days but likely one of the biggest in the history of the event. And everyone who did show up — all the while finagling a spot around the obstructive VIP platform towers that blocked out a good portion of the park’s view — collectively made those classic “Jagged Little Pill” numbers into a massive kumbaya sing-along.
* Daily Herald | Where suburban House candidates’ finances stand: Democratic U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez of Chicago is facing a challenge from Republican newcomer John Booras of Homer Glen in Illinois’ 3rd District, which includes Chicago’s West Side and parts of suburban Cook and DuPage counties. Ramirez’s campaign committee collected $823,136 from donors this election cycle through June 30 and spent $589,532, her latest report showed. Team Ramirez started this month with $391,509 on hand. No financial reports were available from Booras’ campaign as of Thursday. When asked to comment, Booras insisted his campaign filed the document.
* Naperville Sun | Naperville council won’t oppose plans for storage facility, other businesses on unincorporated 75th Street: Per state law, a municipality is allowed to offer its opinion on a project if it’s proposed for unincorporated land falling within 1.5 miles of its city limits. Naperville council members at their meeting last week decided they would not offer an opinion on the 75th Street development. If they were opposed to it, the DuPage County Board would have to approve it with a supermajority vote requiring three-fourths of its members be in favor for it to be approved
* NBC Chicago | Oscar Meyer Wienermobile crashes; flips on its side on busy Chicago-area highway: At 11:12 a.m., an Oscar Meyer Weinermobile was traveling in the northbound lanes of Interstate 294 just before Roosevelt Road when the Wienermobile driver struck a Hyundai Sedan, also traveling north, Illinois State Police said. After striking the Hyundai, the driver of the Weinermobile lost control, overcorrected and rolled onto its side, ISP said. No injuries were reported.
* WGN | ‘Blues Brothers Con’ this year will be dedicated to Judy Belushi Pisano, the late widow of John Belushi, organizers announce: Greg Peerbolte, CEO of the JAHM, said in a news release that Belushi Pisano served the museum’s Old Joliet Prison Historic Site for more than five years in an advisory capacity. “Through the prison’s connection to one of the most important films ever made, ‘The Blues Brothers,’ Judy shared our viewpoint that contemplating this complex historic site as a redefined community gathering space, driven by education, art and music, would help to bring about healing and honor the film’s cultural legacy,” Peerbolte said in the release.
* Muddy River News | ‘A waste of everybody’s time’: Adrian won’t reply to complaint filed by Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission: Robert Adrian has until July 31 to respond to a complaint filed with the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) on June 25 that recommends the former Eighth Judicial Circuit judge be disciplined. Adrian said Friday that the ARDC shouldn’t hold its breath. “It’s a waste of everybody’s time,” he said Friday morning. “It just shows how political and corrupt (the ARDC is).
* WCIA | Warrior-Scholar Project provides brainy boot camp to veterans in Urbana: t’s never too late to go back to school. That’s why veterans across Champaign County are meeting up at the Chez Veteran Center throughout this week. They’re expanding their knowledge through a unique program called the Warrior-Scholar Project (WSP). It’s a nationwide, free, academic boot camp.
* SJ-R | ‘Supporting the community that’s supported us.’ Cafe Moxo workers volunteer post Adams St. fire: Ever since the fire on June 19 at 413 E. Adams St., the employees of Cafe Moxo have been volunteering five days a week at local food shelters and the Compass for Kids School program at four different schools in Springfield. Working five days a week three-to-four hours a day, each employee has racked up more than 100 service hours giving back to Springfield.
* The Telegraph | St. Louis Cardinals clear up confusion over home run gesture: Following a home run by Cardinals power hitter Alec Burleson, the St. Louis players appeared to raise their fists raised with one hand covering an ear. As Burleson rounded third, he made the same gesture back to his teammates. […] “It’s the furthest thing from a political statement and a little thing (for Burleson),” Cardinals infielder and designated hitter Matt Carpenter told St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold. “I can understand why everyone is looking for something right now. The St. Louis Cardinals aren’t involved in any kind of political statement.”
* CNN | Why Delta is still canceling flights as other airlines return to normal: In a note to customers Sunday, Delta CEO Ed Bastian apologized for the disruptions and attributed the problem to the computer program affecting its “crew tracking” software. “One of our crew tracking-related tools was affected and unable to effectively process the unprecedented number of changes triggered by the system shutdown,” he wrote in a note to customers. “Our teams have been working around the clock to recover and restore full functionality.”
* Bloomberg | Apple Tries to Rein In Hollywood Spending After Years of Losses: Apple is spending billions of dollars a year on original programming that has received strong reviews and many awards nominations. But its streaming service is attracting just 0.2% of TV viewing in the US. Apple TV+ generates less viewing in one month than Netflix does in one day.
posted by Isabel Miller
Monday, Jul 22, 24 @ 2:29 pm
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===The video is here.===
No thanks. The written description is enough for me.
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Jul 22, 24 @ 2:38 pm
The Massey video was sickening. This deputy has to be put in jail. There was no credible danger to him or his partner. Sangamon Co. start negotiating your settlement.
Comment by Norseman Monday, Jul 22, 24 @ 2:41 pm
What did Massey say about the boiling water that made the deputy say what he said and pull his gun?
She was acting like she was in a psychiatric episode with her strange comments.
Sad and tragic event for everyone. I’m sure the deputy wishes he’d reacted differently.
Comment by FreeSpeech Monday, Jul 22, 24 @ 2:57 pm
The Massey video is profoundly disturbing.
It’s also obvious to me that if the other officer’s body camera had been off as Grayson’s was, there would be no prosecution for this murder. Probably a couple awards given out for valor in the line of duty.
Comment by Larry Bowa Jr. Monday, Jul 22, 24 @ 2:57 pm
That is as hard of a watch as you think it will be.
The pot of water is set down, her hands are in the air. She’s stepped away. He closes on her. That is not how you police a situation.
IF the pot of water that much of a threat to start with, he or his partner should have been handling it.
His total disregard to try and save her life or render care at the end - is so cold and callous.
It’s sicking.
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Monday, Jul 22, 24 @ 3:00 pm
===I’m sure the deputy wishes he’d reacted differently.===
He could have pulled his taser not a 9mm aimed at her face.
Comment by Baloneymous Monday, Jul 22, 24 @ 3:02 pm
===I’m sure the deputy wishes he’d reacted differently.===
He could have immediately started to administer first aid and not told his partner not to get aid. There’s nothing that indicates he wishes he’d done anything different.
Comment by Former Downstater Monday, Jul 22, 24 @ 3:13 pm
“She was acting like she was in a psychiatric episode with her strange comments.”
Better shoot her in the face inside her own house then? You embarrass yourself.
Comment by Larry Bowa Jr. Monday, Jul 22, 24 @ 3:18 pm
>She highlighted numerous other cases of individuals covered by the consent decree who had faced barriers to moving out of state-run facilities.
That can’t be correct. Everyone wants to move in to places like Choate.
Comment by Apple Monday, Jul 22, 24 @ 3:24 pm
Perfect illustration of why many of us have distrust and dislike for police.
Comment by JDuc Monday, Jul 22, 24 @ 3:26 pm
Re: SJ-R story on Ms. Massey
I am blessed to be a good friend of one of her cousins’ wives. Her family has modeled Peace.
Comment by H-W Monday, Jul 22, 24 @ 3:38 pm
==I’m sure the deputy wishes he’d reacted differently.==
He refused to render aid to her, and instructed his partner to not do anything, even knowing she was still alive. She made no movement other than what he instructed her to do, until he pulled his weapon. If annyone was ancting in self defense, it was her. Absolutely no justification for any of it, and he is right where he belongs and should remain for a long time…in prison.
Comment by fs Monday, Jul 22, 24 @ 4:07 pm
I think she may have said something like, “I can baptize you in the name of Jesus.” She did seem to have some mental health issues based on her other statements.
Grayson went from 0-100 in a split second and used the opportunity to kill her.
Comment by Proud Papa Bear Monday, Jul 22, 24 @ 4:11 pm
Very sad.
Police are taught that the 2 most dangerous incidents they get are traffic stops and domestics. We don’t know the nature of the 911 call, but this woman seemed confused from the start. Deputy was well away from the water. This seems like one where a mental professional could have done much good.
Comment by Annonin' Monday, Jul 22, 24 @ 4:14 pm
“Ahead of body camera footage of the fatal shooting of Springfield woman Sonya Massey being released, here’s a timeline of the events in the fatal shooting.”
Even knowing all that they know, they still use the passive voice to describe Sean P. Grayson shooting Sonya Massey in the face.
– MrJM
Comment by @misterjayem Monday, Jul 22, 24 @ 4:16 pm