Some degree of belated justice prevailed late last month when former Illinois sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson, who shot and killed Sonya Massey, was found guilty of second-degree murder.

The verdict, which the Massey family referred to as “providing some measure” of justice for Sonya, is yet another unyielding reminder of the horrors of police brutality in America. Although it is reassuring Grayson was found liable for his misdeeds, the intersection of police brutality and racism is far too commonplace in American law enforcement.

On July 6, 2024, bodycam footage revealed Grayson, a 30-year-old member of the force, ordered Massey to her kitchen to turn off a pot of boiling water. She complied. Rather than attempt to calm the situation, Grayson escalated it by screaming and spewing a tirade of profanity-laced threats. Grayson then shot her in the face at close range as she ducked behind a counter saying she was sorry.

The first words she uttered when the officers arrived at her residence was, “Please don’t hurt me.”

My heart almost froze and my ears rang as I watched the footage of Grayson ruthlessly pumping six bullets into Massey’s petite body. He murdered her as she was holding her pot. Afterward, he informed other law enforcement officials that he had been afraid of her.

As I saw it, the possibility that a 6-foot-8, 235-pound man would or could view a 5-foot-4, 125-pound unarmed woman as a physical threat was ludicrous.

Immediately after the murder and during the trial, police department records revealed Grayson had a history of misconduct. This raises the question of why he was not disciplined earlier.

What was notable was how members of Massey’s family responded to the verdict. Understandably disappointed with their failure to secure a first-degree murder charge, they did not hesitate to publicly express their displeasure. No attorneys issued statements of gratitude on behalf of the family, and neither was there the routine litany of appreciative commentary bestowed upon the legal institutions that neglected to protect their loved one. Instead, Donna Massey looked directly into the camera and responded, “I can’t wait until he goes to hell.”

By voicing such understandable outrage, Donna essentially redefined and rewrote the standard narrative of how many Black people have responded whenever addressing pervasive and penetrating grief.

To quote Dr. Stacey Patton, “Black mothers are expected to cry, to forgive, to turn the other cheek so America can feel good about itself again… America loves the spectacle of the forgiving Black mother because it restores its sense of moral order. It lets white folks cry, nod, and feel redeemed without changing a damn thing. But this mother refused to baptize the system that murdered her child.”

Since stepping foot on America’s shores, Black lives and bodies have been routinely scrutinized, objectified, sexualized, and racialized. For many in our society, Black bodies and Black people — children as well as adults — have never seemed fully human. All too often, we have been viewed as people who are largely primitive and invisible, denied any degree of humane acknowledgment from mainstream society.

Grayson is just a microcosm of the larger issue of violence against Black bodies and, by extension, Black people. The death of Black Americans at the hands of law enforcement has become so commonplace and routine, many of us who are Black are simultaneously outraged and psychologically numbed. Over the past several years, we have been front-row spectators to grainy and, in some cases, graphic footage of police officers engaged in horrifically violent behavior toward people of African descent.

While it is unclear what the final sentence for Grayson will be, the Massey family has permanently lost a loved one in an act of senseless violence. Grayson’s unhinged decisions that night needlessly exacerbated a tense situation. Grayson should never have been hired, especially after his own evaluation revealed he sometimes tended to jump to conclusions. His conviction is a step in the right direction, but America has a long way to go before it convinces people to trust the police to handle mental health episodes responsibly and safely.

If white people were routinely and randomly subjected to police violence and gunned down in the street by law enforcement, there would be calls for congressional hearings and massive demonstrations. Cries of protest would reverberate so loudly and fiercely that any political entity or police force that dared to ignore them would face the prospect of political suicide. The same social outrage must become a reality for people of color as well.

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Copyright 2025 Elwood Watson, distributed by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate

Elwood Watson is a professor of history, Black studies, and gender and sexuality studies at East Tennessee State University. He is also an author and public speaker.