Sadly, here we go again. Another Black life was extinguished at the hands of someone who should not have been in law enforcement.
On July 6, 2024, a 36-year-old mother of two, Ms. Sonya Massey, called law enforcement to investigate a possible intruder. What seemed like a routine interaction between a citizen and an officer went rapidly downhill for no good reason. A bodycam video makes it plain that the only person who could credibly claim to have been in fear for her life at any point during the interaction was Ms. Sonya Massey. She was eventually shot repeatedly in the head by Officer Sean Grayson. The video is online…for more details.
The murderous officer, Sean Grayson, has had six law enforcement positions since 2020. He has had a solid track record of disciplinary problems. Yet, especially in these times of a shortage of law enforcement personnel, he had no trouble getting hired time and time again.
What is it with officers lying to victims’ families at crime scenes?! This is regrettably common behavior, as many victims’ families can attest. It is disrespectful, insulting, and infuriating! Stop it! Massey’s family was told that an intruder had shot her.
For many Black folks who continue to proclaim that our Black lives matter…we do not hate the police. Massey called the police for help the day that she was killed. Just like anyone else, we want to call the police when in need.
Police scholars have already said what should happen regarding “bad apple” officers: First, there should be no compromise in thoroughly screening police officers pre-hire. Second, after hire, officers need periodic assessments to ascertain ongoing sanity, and third, we need to utilize a national registry of police misconduct.
In this, we do not need to “reinvent the wheel.” Many states have a list of officer decertifications, plus there is a National Decertification Index and a new National Law Enforcement Accountability Database. These need to be merged and maintained.
Camille Gibson, PhD
We must also require law enforcement agencies to submit reports of substantial officer misconduct and utilize them as a screening mechanism in hiring. To work, this will mean plugging the loophole of letting dangerous officers resign in exchange for a clear severance record.
We know these things, so when will enough be enough to finally take these steps?
Say her name…Ms. Sonya Massey!
Dr. Camille Gibson is a professor of justice studies in the College of Juvenile Justice at Prairie View A&M University.