When a woman called the police because she was afraid that someone had broken into her house, she was shot in the head by the police. The fatal shooting, which was caught on film, is sparking outrage in the USA.
It was on July 6 that Sonya Massey, 36 years old, believed that someone had broken into her home in Springfield, Illinois. After the police searched the house, an argument broke out about a pot of boiling water on the stove. Despite the black woman apologizing to the police officer and not behaving threateningly, she was shot three times in the head and died immediately.
On Monday, a video – the police officer's body camera – was released, showing the brutal sequence of events in detail. The police officer, who is white, is being held in custody and is charged with murder.
The video is reigniting the debate about the brutal violence from the police that many black people experience in the USA. In recent years, several people have been shot to death by the police when they called for help.
In a statement, President Joe Biden says that Sonya Massey should be alive today.
"Sonya called the police because she was worried about an intruder. When we call for help, we should all be able to do so as Americans without fearing for our lives. Sonya's death reminds us that black Americans are all too often afraid for their safety in a way that many of us are not", writes Biden.
The police officer, Sean Grayson, 30 years old, risks life imprisonment for murder if he is convicted.
