California Black Media

Sen. Bradford Responds to Deputy-Involved Killing of Unarmed Black Woman

After seeing a video of a deputy-involved shooting death of an unarmed Black woman in Illinois last week, the vice chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood) stated that he sees “no appropriate justification for this deputy’s actions.” Sonya Massey, 37, was shot in the face by a Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy after she called 911 to report a prowler. The deputy who shot Massey reportedly worked for six different law enforcement agencies in four years and had two Drinking Under the Influence (DUI) charges.

Published

10 months ago

August 19, 2024

Oakland Post

By Bo Tefu

California Black Media

Sonya Massey, 37, was shot in the face by a Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy after she called 911 to report a prowler. The deputy who shot Massey reportedly worked for six different law enforcement agencies in four years and had two Drinking Under the Influence (DUI) charges.

“[Senate Bill] 2 created a process for peace officers who violate the public trust to be decertified. This law has already protected the public from at least 80 now-former officers who will never again wear a badge in California,” said Bradford viewing the incident within the context of California law.

“Strong police accountability laws increase the public’s trust in our law enforcement by removing those individuals whose actions erode that trust,” he added.

Bradford said The Sangamon County, Illinois, case is an “inexcusable tragedy.”

“After looking at the video of the shooting and reading about the case, I see no appropriate justification for this deputy’s actions,” Bradford said in a July 24 statement to California Black Media. “The death of Sonya Massey should never have happened.”

Bradford wrote SB 2, the Kenneth Ross Jr. Police Decertification Act of 2021. It created a statewide process to revoke the certification of a peace officer following the conviction of serious crimes or termination from employment due to misconduct.

SB 2 was signed into law on Sept. 30, 2021, by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The California bill has no bearing on the case in Illinois, but it puts the spotlight on how rogue cops can move from one jurisdiction to another and land a job. The deputy in Illinois was charged with first-degree murder.

Thus far, SB 2 is effective, Bradford stated.