Atlanta Black women, allies to 'Stand with Sonya Massey' at Woodruff Park demonstration
ATLANTA - Black women in Atlanta and their allies are planning to demonstrate at Woodruff Park on Wednesday evening to show their support for Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman who was killed by a white deputy inside her Illinois home.
The group said their purpose is to demand justice for Massey who called 911 on July 6 for help with a suspected early morning prowler. Two deputies responded. One of them, former Sangamon County Sheriff's Deputy Sean Grayson, shot her in the face.
RELATED NEWS: Sonya Massey murder: Officials release video of officer shooting Black woman in her Illinois home
Body camera video released by the sheriff's office show the moment Grayson yelled at Massey to put down a pot of hot water. He threatened to shoot the unarmed woman. In the video, Massey can be seen ducking. When she got back up, Grayson fired her pistol.
Massey was shot three times. The fatal shot was to her head.
The protest planned in Atlanta will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the park located at 91 Peachtree Street NW.
An organizer said the protest will double as a call for the defending of law enforcement agencies, including the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.
What happened to Sean Grayson
Former Sangamon County Sheriff's Deputy Sean Grayson, 30, was fired from the agency 10 days after the shooting.
He was indicted by a grand jury on three counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated battery with a firearm and one count of official misconduct.
Grayson pleaded not guilty and was denied pretrial release.
RELATED NEWS: Sonya Massey murder: Records show Illinois deputy worked for 6 agencies in 4 years
Illinois law enforcement records show that Grayson had worked at six different agencies in the span of just four years. His career included short stints as a part-time officer at three small police departments and a full-time job at a fourth department, as well as working full time at two sheriff's offices, all in central Illinois.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.