I watched the Sonya Massey video 3x -- because I don't understand the escalation
The hotter the water got, the hotter former Deputy Sean Grayson's temperament (and racism) became
I have never watched the Eric Garner strangulation video to the end. I turned away multiple times and muted my TV during the trial of former Officer Derek Chauvin, who kneeled and killed George Floyd. I never made it through the full Tyre Nichols video, with the SCORPION unit tormenting him. And I never thought I’d see any video dumber than North Miami Police Officer Jonathan Aledda shooting behavioral therapist Charles Kinsey in the leg while he was caring for a patient (Arnaldo Rios-Soto).
The videos are very much necessary in a courtroom and to rile a purposely oblivious police department into justice. These videos show the real story of what happened, not just someone’s “fear for my life” paranoia. But if I know the person is dead, I’m fine with a print news article. I don’t want those memories playing over and over again in my head — and they do.
I was prepared to turn away from the Sonya Massey video, the one in which an Illinois woman called the police to her home about a potential intruder outside. I watched her say random things like “I love y’all,” not be able to find her ID, talk about her “papers” and how she “rebukes you in the name of Jesus.” It didn’t take more than 20 seconds for me to realize she may need some kind of medical assistance, so it would be best for officers to take a different (and way less aggressive) approach.
ADVERTISEMENT ~ Amazon
Recommended Read: “Statement from President Joe Biden on Sonya Massey”
But the boiling water scene was so perplexing to me that I watched the video two more times, trying to figure out how this became so unjustifiably hostile. The pot of boiling water scene still makes zero sense to me for multiple reasons.
If Sangamon County Sheriff's Deputy Sean Grayson thought Massey was going to throw boiling hot water on him, she would have to get extremely close to avoid the water splashing back on her. If the goal of the officers was to just get her to turn the stove off, then request that beforehand. Anyone with working eyes can see, even after she tried to empty the water, she didn’t “come” at Grayson with the pot. She was turned toward the sink, and there was clearly an entire countertop between them.
If either officer was really that scared of her being near boiling water — and what I assume is a kitchen full of pots, pans, knives and other potential weapons — why even allow her to get to the stove? Why not just ask for permission to turn the water off on their own?
Even if I ignore Grayson’s two DUI charges in 2015 and 2016, and Grayson working at six law enforcement agencies in Illinois since 2020, all of that “experience” as an officer should’ve included de-escalation. But it appears that all he’s learned is shooting someone in the head with boiling water will result in the water being able to come “right to our feet, too.” Where was the water supposed to go, Grayson? Even the most bare minimum science class teaches a student that it takes about an hour for a liter of water to evaporate once it’s at a boiling point.
ADVERTISEMENT ~ InVideo
Did you find this video informative? Join InVideo, and create your own video! You can even edit photos and write the scripts. Use code “invideoAI50” to unlock 50 FREE artificial intelligence minutes for use in the first month of your InVideo AI subscription!
But what blew me the most, after all this idiocy, was Grayson stopping his partner from getting a medical kit, stating “Nah, she’s done. You can go get it, but that’s a headshot.” Two minutes later, when Grayson apparently remembers he’s dealing with a human being who should’ve had immediate medical care (and still hasn’t figured out she shouldn’t have been shot in the first place), his response was, “I’m not even gonna waste my med stuff then.”
“Waste” my med stuff? Wow. I hope he gets as much time in prison as the legal system allows. He can spend all 1,440 minutes each day thinking of how he wasted someone’s life when he should’ve never been on the police force to begin with.
Did you enjoy this post? You’re also welcome to check out my Substack columns “Black Girl In a Doggone World,” “BlackTechLogy,” “Homegrown Tales,” “I Do See Color,” “One Black Woman’s Vote” and “Window Shopping” too. Subscribe to this newsletter for the weekly posts every Wednesday.
If you’re not ready to subscribe but want to support my writing, you’re welcome to tip me for this post! I’ll buy a dark hot chocolate on you. Thanks for reading!