The Quad Cities Interfaith group asks the community to gather at the Metropolitan Community Church of the Quad Cities, located at 2930 W Locust St., Davenport, for a vigil for Sonya Massey this Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
Massey was killed by a former Sangamon County sheriff's deputy in Springfield after she called 911 for a possible intruder on July 6th. The sheriff's deputy, Sean Grayson, shot and killed Massey while she stood unarmed in her kitchen.
NAACP President Michael Guster will call on community members to urge their Senators to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. The legislation would limit qualified immunity, create a National Police Misconduct Registry, and require law enforcement officers to complete training on racial profiling, implicit bias, and the duty to intervene when another officer uses excessive force.
Janice Williams, a Board Member at Quad Cities Interfaith, says she was moved to organize a vigil in honor of Sonya because “As someone who has an unseen diagnosis and as a black person, and as a black woman, I feel like I have to be on guard. Sonya Massey’s death –as well as the countless other instances of police brutality against black women–makes me afraid of law enforcement when I should feel safe.”
Those interested in attending and want more information can email Williams at jd.mba59@gmail.com.
