APA releases statement on police killing of Sonya Massey

Abstract

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) on July 31 released a statement regarding the July 7 killing of Sonya Massey, a Black mother who was shot to death at her home by former Illinois sheriff's deputy Sean Grayson after he responded to her 911 call to report a possible prowler. The killing, the APA stated, “is a disturbing and horrifying tragedy that should never have happened. Law enforcement, when visiting the home of anyone with reported mental health concerns, should be trained and prepared to respond to these individuals with care and empathy, not violence and harm. A 2024 study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions and Vanderbilt University found that 67% of all shootings by police involving someone suffering from a mental or behavioral health episode were fatal. Furthermore, the injustice of Ms. Massey's killing lays bare the ways in which racial inequities can play out in our communities. More specifically, the Black community should not have to fear interactions with organizations that are charged with keeping us all safe, nor should anyone else.”