Illinois woman who called police about possible intruder was killed by cops, lawyer says

An Illinois woman was shot and killed by police last week after she called authorities out of fear of an intruder in her home, her family’s attorney said.

Sonya Massey, 36, died July 6 after an early morning encounter with officers from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office in Springfield, according to a news release from the Illinois State Police, which is investigating the case at the request of the Sheriff’s Office.

State police said body camera footage and other information related to the case would not be immediately released to “protect the integrity of the legal process.”

In separate news releases, state police and the sheriff’s office said officers arrived at a home in the 2800 block of Hoover Avenue shortly before 1 a.m. following a 911 call. The sheriff’s office said it was called on a report of a burglar.

Massey was shot in the incident and pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, state police said Wednesday.

In its statement from the day of the shooting, the officer said on the day of the shooting, two officers searched the area and at around 1:21 a.m., “officers reported shots fired, with a female being struck by gunfire.”

The sheriff’s office said no officers were injured.

Neither agency released further details about the circumstances of the shooting.

Ben Crump, an attorney for Massey’s family, said in a statement Thursday that the shooting occurred after Massey called police because “she thought there was an intruder in her home.”

“It is extremely difficult to imagine how a woman who called the police out of fear of an intruder would end up being shot in the head by police in her own home,” Crump said in the statement. “We demand that all body camera footage from this incident be released immediately so that Sonya’s family and the public can see what happened during those deadly thirty minutes. No family should have to endure the pain and suffering Sonya’s loved ones are experiencing right now.”

According to local reports, dozens of protesters gathered outside the Sangamon County Building on Friday to demand justice. Massey’s mother, Donna Massey, was also in attendance.

A representative of the Illinois State Police declined further comment Friday. No one at the county sheriff’s office was available for comment Friday.

Sheriff Jack Campbell said in a statement posted on Facebook Wednesday afternoon that it was “imperative” that the sheriff’s office “protect the integrity of the investigation by awaiting the ISP’s decision.”

“My normal practice is to respond to inquiries and provide public statements on important events. And as an elected official, that is always my instinct,” Campbell said in the post. “In this case, that would not be appropriate. I ask the public and the media for patience as we seek the facts surrounding this tragic event.”

The Illinois State Police said they are working closely with the Sangamon County District Attorney’s Office in their investigation.