As care workers, our hearts have been broken again with fresh grief over the senseless killing of Sonya Massey. She was a cherished mother and daughter, a former home care worker who was at one time a member of our union, but most of all she was a human being in need who was killed by those responsible for protecting her.  

It is right that the officer who fired three shots at her as she crouched in fear was terminated and has been charged with her murder. But it will take far more to address this injustice.  We are saying her name, and all the names that have come before, as we mourn in this moment. 

Like Sonya, we have worked low wage jobs and struggled to survive. And while we, as care providers, work two or three jobs apiece to support ourselves and our families, there are still dangerous people out there being given endless second and third and fourth chances despite clear indications they cannot be trusted. 

No one should have reason to fear calling for help. We need public safety first responders who are thoroughly vetted and we need stringently enforced standards for their conduct. It is not enough to go through the motions of requiring occasional mental health and sensitivity trainings for officers—we need real accountability to ensure that standards are being enforced and monitored in the real world. 

We need justice for Sonya. Tragic cases like this one are the reason Black and brown communities distrust those who are paid by the public to serve and protect us all equally.