Desperate 911 Calls Before Vulnerable Sonya Massey’s Shooting Include 1 From Her Mom Pleading With Cops: ‘I Don’t Want You Guys To Hurt Her’

Records released on July 31 show Sonya Massey ‘s mother, Donna, pleading with police not to hurt her daughter in a 911 call—a day before the 36-year-old was shot dead by an Illinois sheriff’s deputy.

Knewz.com has learned that Donna told the 911 dispatcher that Sonya was “suffering a mental breakdown,” clarifying that she did not believe her daughter posed any danger to herself or others.

According to court documents filed by the prosecutors, Sonya called 911 on July 6 to report a possible “prowler” at her home, following which two Sangamon County sheriff’s deputies responded to her Springfield residence.

Bodycam footage shared by the Illinois State Police shows Sonya greeting the deputies at the front door at around 1 a.m., saying, “Don’t hurt me.”

“Please God,” she can be heard saying on the footage .

Once inside, she had trouble finding her ID when Illinois sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson asked her her last name.

Grayson and Sonya could be seen talking calmly when she went to the stove to turn off a pot of boiling water. She then picked up the boiling pot, to which one of the deputies said, “Away from your hot steaming water.”

“I rebuke you in the name of Jesus ,” came Sonya’s abrupt reply.

At this point, Deputy Grayson pulled his gun and yelled, “You better f—— not or I swear to God I’ll f—— shoot you in the f—— face.” Sonya immediately apologized and ducked behind the kitchen counter, holding the pot over her.

Both the deputies are heard yelling, “Drop the f—— pot!”

Three shots are heard following the exchange, one of which reportedly hit below her left eye.

“Grayson immediately escalated to deadly force based on the decedent stating, ‘I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,'” Chief Deputy Anthony Mayfield stated, further pointing out that Sonya “was not making any aggressive movements, only talking,” when Deputy Grayson pointed his gun at her.

The day before the incident, Donna, Sonya’s mother, placed a 911 call expressing concern that her daughter was going through a mental health issue.

She added in the call that she was afraid of the police and requested that an officer who is not “prejudiced” be asked to respond, per the released records.

“I don’t want you guys to hurt her,” Donna told the 911 dispatcher.

Ben Crump, the Massey family attorney, commented on the released 911 phone call by Sonya’s mother, saying:

“The 911 calls capture the heartbreaking pleas of Sonya’s mother who desperately sought help for her daughter while expressing her deep fears about the potential for violence at the hands of the police.”

“The failure to provide the appropriate response to a mental health crisis has resulted in an irreversible loss for the Massey family and underscores a systemic issue that must be addressed,” the family attorney said in a statement on August 1.

The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department is still in the process of determining whether the deputies responding to Sonya’s July 6 call were aware of her mental state.

Deputy Grayson was subsequently indicted by a grand jury on July 17 on three counts of first-degree murder , one count of aggravated battery with a firearm, and one count of official misconduct in connection with the shooting.

The deputy has pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.

Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell released Grayson’s personnel file on July 31 as well, which stated that the deputy had two DUI convictions in a year, with the first incident resulting in his discharge from the army.

The personnel file also included the conclusions drawn by an internal investigation into the incident – which led to Deputy Grayson’s dismissal – that state that he violated rules on the use of force and standards of conduct and that he failed to turn on his body camera or provide medical aid.

It further stated that Grayson had been insubordinate during the investigation, and refused to answer questions even under orders from his superiors, according to The Associated Press .