By Lafe Tolliver, Esq
Guest Column
With all apologies to the original title of the successful television series, Murder She Wrote, originated by Agatha Christie novels, we are faced with renaming that title, Murder He Wrote, which is a direct reference to the body cam of the Springfield, Illinois cop who murdered the hapless Black woman, Sonya Massey.
The chilling execution took place in the home of the mother of two when she placed a call to 911 asking for police assistance due to her belief that an intruder was about in or around her home.
Two White cops appeared and, after a series of questions and answers, the killer cop was able to maneuver the frightened woman to the kitchen area where, in a matter of moments, shot her in face, under her left eye, in a downward trajectory.
The other cop was filming this bizarre interaction with his body cam and, upon her being victimized, neither officer offered any semblance of first aid, since it was a clear, deadly head shot.
The killer cop acted as judge, jury and eager executioner since he did not offer her a smidgen of a chance to protest her execution – an execution for no other purpose than that the cop could kill her and kill her he did.
Imagine, if you will, the sheer terror and fear she must have experienced in her last few moments on earth while he looked into the face of a person, who, with a grave indifference to human life inflicted his brand of justice for her rebuking him, “in the name of Jesus!”
Such a discerning comment, obviously struck a bad nerve with the killer cop because from that point, I contend that he, with a heart and mind full of malice and evil, sought to take her life.
Ms. Sonya Massey did absolutely nothing, I repeat, she did not commit one single act that would have led anyone, without a depraved mindset, to believe that the cop was in imminent danger of bodily harm or death from Ms. Massey.
Of course, I have not heard an iota from this killer cop of any remorse or sadness from executing Ms. Massey. Silence.
For the killer cop, in his twisted mind of deviant thinking, Ms. Massey was not worthy of living another day. Whatever “ticked him off” be it her very presence as a Black woman, her rebuke of him or simply the fact that the killer cop had a bad day, and she was to be his scapegoat.
The heinous murder of Sonya Massey ranks with the public execution of the late George Floyd. Two Black people whose lives were cavalierly snuffed out because cops vented their animus on people of color.
No reason. Just pure hatred. Hatred of sufficient inner rage and bitterness that the taking of their lives was justified in their alternative world of who should live and who should die.
What is it about the mere presence of people of color that can trigger in some White cops a visceral response that is so deviant and vile that they will engage in acts of gross human violations, including death, to appease their demons within?
There will be no police reports or medical reports that will be generated about this “bad” shoot that will remotely justify such a murder.
Dogs get better treatment than what was meted out to Sonya Massey.
She will simply be noted as another statistic regarding police brutality. Another Black woman blown into eternity because a morally corrupt cop, in a matter of a few moments, decided to take life… and not to protect and serve.
Sonya Massey did not resist arrest. She did not obstruct official business.
She did not have a weapon on her person or in close range to her. She unknowingly made the mistake of calling 911 and the cops who responded were, as it latter turned out, on a death mission unbeknownst to Sonya Massey.
From the video, the other “non-shooting” cop did not offer any opposition to his shooting partner. On the video, you did not hear from the other cop any outrage or anger about seeing this murder play out.
None.
If was as if, “Okay, you are about to shoot an unarmed victim, but I will not stop you or rage against your conduct.”
Matter of fact, if you listen to the two cops speak before, during and after this murder, there is no alarm of any sort. Their tone is as if they are discussing what is the best place to have a late-night snack.
No angst. No outrage. No sorrow. No remorse. No sadness. No compassion.
No second guessing. No contriteness.
Nothing. That is what the life of Sonya Massey meant to the shooter and his partner.
Sonya Massey’s life was of no consequence to them. It was meaningless. It had no value. She was a mere trifle. A bug to be swatted away.
Contact Lafe Tolliver at tolliver@juno.com