Illinois Woman Fatally Shot By Authorities After Calling About Possible Intruder, Attorney Says

An Illinois woman was fatally shot by authorities after calling to report a possible intruder, according to a family attorney.

Sonya Massey, 36, was shot in Springfield in a July 6 incident involving deputies from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, the Illinois State Police said Wednesday.

In a statement released on the day of the shooting, the sheriff’s office said that deputies responded at 12:50 a.m. after Massey called 911 to report a prowler, but stopped short of saying who was responsible for her death.

“At approximately 1:21 a.m., the Deputies reported that shots had been fired, resulting in a female being struck by gunfire,” the sheriff’s office said, adding that the unnamed deputies were not injured.

On Thursday, attorney Ben Crump issued a statement saying that he will represent Massey’s family as the investigation into her death moves forward.

“It is extremely hard to imagine how a woman who calls the police out of fear of an intruder ends up shot in the head by the police at her own home,” Crump said in his 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 in those thirty deadly minutes. No family should have to endure the pain and suffering that Sonya’s loved ones are experiencing right now.”

Illinois State Police said authorities would not yet be providing bodycam video, citing “the integrity of the legal process and the right to a fair trial in the event charges are filed.”

Members of the Springfield community gathered Friday to mourn Massey and to demand transparency in the investigation, including the release of bodycam footage.