Trenton – Senator Angela V. McKnight released the following statement in response to the recent killing of Sonya Massey by police after Massey sought assistance during a mental health crisis:

“On July 6, a deputy from Springfield, Illinois, fatally shot Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman after she called 9-1-1 during a mental health crisis. Compounding this tragedy is the fact that Sean Grayson, the officer charged with Massey’s murder, had been discharged from the U.S. Army for misconduct, had a history of DUI offenses, and was previously reprimanded for his behavior as a police officer. Grayson is clearly someone who should never have been employed in law enforcement, and the failure to properly vet his background had fatal consequences.

“The horrific killing of Sonya Massey by an officer with a lengthy history of misconduct shows us yet again that more must be done to hold police accountable and stop the deadly use of force on people with mental health issues. It is unacceptable that individuals experiencing mental health challenges, particularly women and people of color, cannot safely seek assistance from law enforcement without fearing for their lives. We must continue to rethink policing and implement policies that protect our most vulnerable from harm when calling for help,” said Senator McKnight (D-Hudson).

According to the Treatment Advocacy Center, individuals with untreated severe mental illness are involved in one-fourth of all fatal police encounters, making those with untreated mental illness 16 times more likely to be killed by a police officer. In recent years, 911 calls for mental health crises in New Jersey have increased exponentially.

“We need more legislators throughout the state to sign on and pass my bill, S-2943, which would authorize the creation of local civilian review boards to allow residents to review police operations and conduct. These boards would have the authority to investigate incidents of excessive or unnecessary force, abuse of authority, discourtesy, or offensive language by officers. If civilian review boards were implemented throughout New Jersey, officers like Sean Grayson would likely be investigated by a board for a lesser, non-fatal incident before his actions escalated to a fatality. This will help distinguish upstanding officers who proudly protect our communities from those undeserving of their title,” added Senator McKnight.

“Instances of unnecessary deadly force by police are not unfamiliar to us in New Jersey. We must strengthen our laws to stop this brutality from happening in our communities. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the Massey family and all those affected by police violence. I will continue to push for legislation that will further protect New Jerseyans in crisis and create greater transparency and accountability for law enforcement,” concluded Senator McKnight.