Sonya Massey’s Death Could Have Been Prevented With Better Police Culture, Experts Say

August 08 2024

Sonya Massey, a Black woman in Springfield, Illinois, was murdered in her home by former Sangamon County Deputy Sean Grayson. A Huffpost article details how, despite Illinois’ 2021 police reform laws, officers often fail to apply their training, escalating situations instead of defusing them. CPE Vice President of Public Safety Innovations Hans Menos discusses how Grayson needlessly escalated this particular encounter, causing the tragic and avoidable death of Ms. Massey: 

Hans Menos, vice president of public safety innovations at the Center for Policing Equity, said while officers may have training to de-escalate interactions with civilians, especially those with mental health, some officers tend to escalate the encounters anyhow.

Menos said neither Grayson nor the other deputy needed to go inside Massey’s home and described the decision as escalation, which led to Massey’s fatal shooting. Menos said the officers were “looking for more” than the actual reason they were called to Massey’s home.

“This is escalation. They don’t need to be there,” he said. “What we fail to realize is that police officers are not only failing to de-escalate, but they are often escalating. They are bringing things to a point that they do not need to be at. Ultimately, if they would do less and do what they were called for, Sonya Massey may be alive today.”

Read the full article on Huffpost’s website.