Photo Caption: Activists from several organizations united in calling for justice for Sonya Massey, who was killed by former sheriff deputy Sean Grayson over a teapot of boiling water in her Springfield home. They called for justice for a number of similar killings of Blacks, both men and women, at the hands of police in Chicago and nationwide. They are demanding more accountability for the misconduct of officers, (Photos by Chinta Strausberg)
A coalition of several activist groups called for unity in the face of growing numbers of innocent Blacks being killed by police and urged Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which will hold law enforcement officers accountable for misconduct.
Vickki Willis is the mother of 27-year-old Alteriq Pleasant, allegedly beaten by police and dropped off at the Cook County Jail in August of 2022. “I have been in a perpetual state of heartbreak ever since,” she said, crying, blaming her son’s death on the alleged lack of immediate medical attention by his jailers.
Kathleen Carmody, executive director of Public Relations for the sheriff’s office said, “Shortly before 5 p.m. on July 21, 2022, Alteriq Pleasant experienced a medical emergency while in custody at Cook County Jail. Correctional staff and Cermak Health Services’ medical staff immediately responded, and the medical staff began life-saving measures. Pleasant was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital for further treatment. The Sheriff’s Office was notified Pleasant had died August 2 at the hospital.
“Foul play was not a factor in Pleasant’s death. In accordance with the Sheriff’s Office policy, there was also a separate, ongoing internal investigation to determine whether staff followed all policies and procedures in this case,” said Carmody.
Referring to the proposed Medical Civil Rights petition she is circulating, Willis said, “Everybody has the right to life. I’m here to represent every person and family” whose loved one was killed or abused by the police. “We pay taxes. I worked for CPS for 20 years.” Willis said she got her son’s body back “wrapped in lies and deceit.”
According to a computer search engine, Microsoft Bing, “The Medical Civil Rights Initiative, as their group is known, is going state by state across the country and directly to Congress in an effort to pass the Medical Civil Rights Act, which would give anyone subject to contact with law enforcement—from a traffic stop to arrest or incarceration—the right to emergency medical care.”
“We are here for answers,” Willis told reporters. “Nobody is talking about what is happening in Chicago…,” she said. “We have a serious issue going on here, and we need to unite the families, come together and speak up. It’s your time to speak.” She said with tears sliding down her face, “I miss my son.”
“We are advocating for policy changes that ensure every American, regardless of their socioeconomic status or custodial situation, has access to prompt and quality healthcare. This includes ensuring law enforcement institutions are equipped with robust healthcare protocols that prevent unnecessary deaths like Alteriq’s,” Willis stated on her petition.
She was not the only one overwhelmed by the testimonies of alleged police abuse at the two-and-a-half-hour-long press conference on Saturday, August 3, at Chicago Police Department headquarters, 3510 S. Michigan.
Wearing a T-shirt that read, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” which reportedly were Sonya Massey’s last words before being shot in the face three times by Springfield deputy sheriff Sean Grayson, activist Monique Magee cried out saying, “I’m sick and tired of saying her name, tired of wearing this T-shirt. I’m tired of people not showing up at these rallies to advocate for people who look like us. I’m just sick and tired,” she said, calling for an end to police killing innocent Black people.
Selwyn Jones, the uncle of George Floyd, and Carolyn J. Ruff, organizer of the event called out several names of Blacks killed by police like Atatiana Jefferson, Massey and Breonna Taylor, saying they should be alive today. He called on Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act which will provide accountability for police misconduct.
Also speaking was Dr. Michael James, from Helping Oppressed People Emerge (HOPE), from Evanston, who said, “Somewhere I read that we hold these truths to be self-evident that all humans, all of God’s creations are created equal. Somewhere I read that you cannot police a people that you fear.”
Reginald Clay Sr. spoke of his son, Reginald Clay, Jr., who was shot and killed by a Chicago police officer during a foot chase on April 15, 2023, in the 3800 block of West Flournoy Street. According to police, they were involved in a de-escalation mission when they came upon a group of people near a vehicle. When Clay Jr. ran, police fatally shot him. His father, wife and children are calling for justice.
“He was killed by policemen from the 11th District, the same district that killed Dexter Reed,” Clay Sr. told the Chicago Crusader. “They had no reason to chase my son. They jumped out of their car, chased him down and killed him like a dog.” His daughter, Destiny, 18, said of her brother, “I miss … him. He was 24 years old.”
“Stop the killing, “said activist Warren 2 X.
“Massey was shot in the face though she had her hands up. She didn’t do nothing, she didn’t even have a pot,” he said referring to the teapot of water that was on her stove. When Grayson asked Massey to put the pot down she yelled out, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus” prompting both officers to draw their weapons and saying, “Drop the f…..g pot.” The police video then showed him shooting her three times hitting her in the face, according to attorney Ben Crump, the family’s lawyer.
“This shooting shows that no one cares about us, but us,” said Warren 2 X.
Family members whose loved ones were killed by police and activists said while justice is being served to Massey’s family, there are many other Blacks who have been shot and unfairly killed by the Chicago police.
With sporadic playing of African drums and chants of “no justice, no peace” and “call her name,” they stood in solidarity against the murder of Massey and ticked off the names of other Blacks who suffered similar fates. The coalition called for an end to the killing of Blacks by Chicago and other police agencies here and across the nation.
After Rabbi Ben Yosef called for unity in the fight for justice, he said, “We have nothing to lose but our chains.” Huff then released black and gold balloons and several white doves in honor of Massey and others killed at the hands of Chicago and other law enforcement entities across the nation.
Coalition supporters then marched up and down Michigan Avenue chanting, “No justice, no peace,” and “Black Lives Matter.”
Massey and other police victims,” published on the front page of the Chicago Crusader Newspaper on August 10, 2024, we mistakenly spelled the name of a well-known activist and organizer as Carolyn Huff. The correct spelling is Carolyn J. Ruff. We sincerely apologize for this error.
This story has been updated to reflect the correction of a misspelled name. At the Crusader, we are committed to accuracy and deeply respect the people we write about, as well as our readers. We recognize the importance of maintaining the integrity of our reporting, and we strive to ensure that such mistakes do not occur. Carolyn J. Ruff was the organizer of the event, and we regret any confusion caused by this misspelling. Thank you for your understanding.