Alison Hammond 'scared to go to America' over fears of police shootings
Watch: Alison Hammond says she's scared to travel to America
What did you miss?
Alison Hammond has opened up on feeling scared to visit the US, saying she worries that she could die after a Black woman was killed by police in her own home.
Sonya Massey had called police to her home in Illinois as she was worried someone was trying to break in but was fatally shot by a white police officer - who has now been charged with murder - after a discussion about removing a pot of water from the stove.
This Morning presenter Hammond was visibly upset as she said she feared nothing had changed in the US since George Floyd was killed by police in 2020 and shared that she was terrified she could be killed because of the colour of her skin.
What, how, and why?
This Morning star Alison Hammond has shared her horror at seeing the police bodycam footage from the killing of Sonya Massey in the US, admitting that it makes her fear for her own safety when she visits America.
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Wednesday's show opened with a discussion about the headlines and Hammond described the shocking scenes that unfolded when Massey called police to her home as she was worried about a potential intruder.
There was a brief dispute between Massey and the police about removing a pot of water from the stove, before police deputy Sean Grayson fatally shot Massey, who had been apologising and had her hands up. Grayson has been sacked from the police force and charged with murder, but has pleaded not guilty.
Hammond spoke about how horrified she was to see another case of a white police officer shooting an innocent Black person, questioning whether anything had changed since the murder of George Floyd by police in 2020.
She said: "It's so insulting to kill her in her own home. How awful. How far have we actually come from George Floyd? It's still happening now. I'm scared to go to America."
Her co-host Dermot O'Leary asked: "You're going soon, you go often. When you go there, how do you feel?"
The TV star looked upset as she admitted: "I'll be honest with you, because I've got Black skin, I'm nervous about going. If something happens, I drive when I'm over there, if something happens and I don't do the right thing, then I'm going to die.
"It's not a joke, you could actually lose your life literally because you've got a dark skin. It's awful."
How the US reacted to the killing of Sonya Massey
President Joe Biden expressed his shock at Massey's killing, saying: "Sonya Massey, a beloved mother, friend, daughter, and young Black woman, should be alive today. When we call for help, all of us as Americans—regardless of who we are or where we live—should be able to do so without fearing for our lives.
"Sonya's death at the hands of a responding officer reminds us that all too often Black Americans face fears for their safety in ways many of the rest of us do not."
Meanwhile, Vice-President Kamala Harris called on Congress to pass police reforms, posting on X: "Sonya Massey deserved to be safe.
"The disturbing footage released yesterday confirms what we know from the lived experiences of so many - we have much work to do to ensure that our justice system fully lives up to its name."
This Morning airs on ITV1 at 10am on weekdays.
This article originally appeared on Yahoo TV UK at https://uk.news.yahoo.com/alison-hammond-scared-america-police-shooting-100517908.html
