Sonya Massey’s death: How to prevent more killings of defenseless Black women By Onyeka T. Otugo and Adaira I. LandryJuly 26, 2024

https://www.statnews.com/2024/07/26/sonya-massey-death-prevent-more-killings-black-women/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9Mn-soipjepkoTXT4ebETvLDEhMnTopkf0hRERuf8xMHjr_D5HF64Ssuqmw7WfgGSE8h22k5rTznHC0ZuWlRmGIYNUJA&_hsmi=317667934&utm_content=317667934&utm_source=hs_email How to prevent tragedies like Sonya Massey’s death Sonya Massey called 911 on July 6 to report a potential home intruder. “Don’t hurt me,” is what she said to the police when they arrived. “Why would I hurt you? You called us,” is how Deputy Sean Grayson responded minutes before he shot and killed her. Massey had paranoid schizophrenia, and she was distracted, unsettled, and frightened. What she needed was reassurance, two emergency physicians write in a First Opinion essay. The interaction with police turned quickly from routine to deadly. “As two academic, Black women physicians, we have become familiar with the same speed at which we can turn from ‘pet to threat,’” they write. Read more on the “pet to threat” phenomenon and the critical need for safe de-escalation tactics and specialized, mental health crisis response teams.