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TRANSCRIPT
Distressing content warning: Some may find the bodycam audio grab in this feature distressing
Police bodycam footage in the United States shows the fatal shooting of an unarmed African American woman during a call for help at her home in Springfield, Illinois.
A police officer fired three shots with one of the bullets hitting 36-year-old Sonja Massey in the face.
The officer started shooting following a verbal exchange about a pot of water on her stove.
Two police officers responded to an emergency call from Sonja Massey who rang the authorities to report a suspected intruder at her home in Springfield, Illinois.
It was Saturday, July 6 as Americans celebrated the Independence Day weekend.
The officers searched around her home and reassured her there was no intruder before they both went inside her house.
Bodycam footage shows 30-year-old officer Sean Grayson asking her for some ID before encouraging her to turn off her stove which was boiling a pot of water.
Until this point, everything appears to be routine until Sonja Massey asks officer Sean Grayson why he is moving away.
Sonya Massey: "Where are you going at?"
Sean Grayson: "Away from your hot, steaming water!"
Sonya Massey: "Away from my hot steaming water?"Sean Grayson: "Yeah"
Sonya Massey: "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus. I rebuke you in the name of Jesus."
Sean Grayson: "You better f..king not. I'll shoot you in the f..king face."
Sonya Massey: "Okay, I got it, I'm sorry"
Sean Grayson: "Drop the f..king pot! Drop the f..king pot!"
Three shots fired by Grayson
Other police officer on scene: "Shots fired, shots fired"
Sean Grayson: "Shots fired. Drop the f..king pot"
After those gunshots, Grayson refused to provide first aid and discouraged the other police officer on the scene from helping Ms Massey.
The 36-year-old woman later died in hospital.
Grayson has been sacked from the police force and charged with murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct.
He has pleaded not guilty to those charges.
Lawyer for Sonja Massey's family, Ben Crump, says the bodycam footage is disturbing as is the audio.
He says it's the worst police shooting video ever.
"It's just disturbing, not just the video, but the audio. I mean, it reminds you a lot of the tragic videos that we saw like George Floyd, where there's a narration to the tragedy. I mean, he narrates that 'I'm going to shoot you in the 'f-ing face', and then he shoots her in the face."
Sonja Massey's father, James Wilburn, says Sean Grayson should never have been allowed to work in law enforcement given prior convictions for driving under the influence.
"This man should have never had a badge. He should have never had a gun. He should have never been given the opportunity to kill my child. Because he had some serious blemishes. Blemishes on his record. Serious. This man had two convictions for DUI. He had a conviction for driving under the influence, and he was a member of law enforcement? What an embarrassment. What an embarrassment to this country, to this county."
The civil rights group, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, [[NAACP]] is appalled.
President Teresa Haley says her organisation wants to see Sonja Massey's killer spend the rest of his life in prison.
"Justice for Sonya Massey. Justice for Sonya Massey. It is imperative that we do everything to make sure that this officer spends the rest of his life behind bars."
In a statement, President Joe Biden says Ms Massey should still be alive.
"Sonya Massey, a beloved mother, friend, daughter, and young Black woman, should be alive today. Sonya called the police because she was concerned about a potential intruder. When we call for help, all of us as Americans – regardless of who we are or where we live – should be able to do so without fearing for our lives. 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."
Vice President Kamala Harris also issued a statement, saying she's joining President Biden in calling for Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
The act aims to crack down on police misconduct, excessive force and racial bias in law enforcement.
