Scanner Audio Reveals Officer Attempted to Claim Sonya Massey Death from ‘Self-Inflicted’ Gunshot Wound

Family believes officers attempted to cover-up the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey after one cop is heard in audio recorded of the incident claiming that the mother of two died of a "self-inflicted" gunshot wound.

In the early hours of July 6, Massey, 36, who allegedly battled mental health issues, called police to her home in Springfield, Illinois, to report a possible intruder. Two Sangamon County sheriff’s deputies responded to the call.

The deputies searched the area for 30 minutes and didn’t find a suspect, so they went inside Massey’s home to speak with her. When the deputies asked her to remove a pot of boiling water from the stove, the situation escalated quickly, ending with Deputy Sean Grayson shooting her three times, killing her, as Front Page Detectives previously reported.

At a July 23 press conference, Ben Crump, attorney for the Massey family, claimed audio from the dispatcher on the night of the shooting indicates an officer alleged Massey’s wounds were self-inflicted.

Crump alleged that one family member was told Massey was shot by an intruder and that the family only learned in the press that she had been shot dead by a sheriff’s deputy. At the press conference, Jimmie Crawford, the father of Massey’s daughter, said he was told the perpetrator was a neighbor.

“If it wasn't for the camera footage, [law enforcement] would have lied their way out of this," said the victim's father, James Wilburn.

Wilburn added that Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell should resign.

“I want to tell y'all the sheriff here is an embarrassment,” Wilburn said. “This man (Grayson) should have never had a badge. And he should have never had a gun. He should have never been given the opportunity to kill my child.”

Audio from scanner traffic on July 6 was obtained by The Guardian. In the recordings, a deputy calls the gunshot wounds “self-inflicted.” When asked to confirm, the person repeats “self-inflicted," according to the outlet.

The Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the deadly shooting, and Crump said given the circumstances around the case, the involvement is welcomed.

Both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have issued statements of support for the Massey family, with Harris calling the death “senseless.”

Biden has also urged Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which aims to crack down on police misconduct, excessive force and racial bias in law enforcement.

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At the press conference, Wilburn said, “Every member of Congress needs to vote today so that nobody else in this United States of America has to go through what we're going through.”

Grayson, who is accused of the shooting, has since been fired and pleaded not guilty to charges of first degree murder, officials said.

He was booked into the Sangamon County Jail and was being held without bond. If convicted, he faces 45 years to life in prison.