SPRINGFIELD, IL - Former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson, 30, was indicted for charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct last week in connection to the shooting death of 36-year-old Sonya Massey. Grayson has reportedly pleaded not guilty and faces 45 years to life for murder, according to multiple reports.
Illinois State Police has already found the use of deadly force to be unjustified, and he has been fired, according to Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell, who said, “It is clear that the deputy did not act as trained or in accordance with our standards. Therefore, Sean Grayson’s employment with the Sheriff's Office has been terminated."
As reported by Fox News, Massey had contacted police on July 6th reporting a suspected prowler. Deputies responded shortly before 1:00 a.m. and searched around the home, finding a black SUV with broken windows in the driveway. Massey opened the door after three minutes and first told the officers, "Don't hurt me."
According to the outlet, the woman seemed confused and told the officers she needed help, and advised officers that she didn't know the owner of the car. During her interactions with the deputies, she repeatedly referenced God.
Later in the interaction as the deputies gathered information for their report, Massey appeared to have difficulty going through her purse to find the identification the deputies asked for. The discourse between Massey and the deputies seemed somewhat cordial, as Grayson pointed out a pot full of boiling water still on the cooking range in the kitchen. He told Massey, "We don’t need a fire while we’re here."
Massey rose from the sofa to take the pan off of the flame and she and Grayson can be heard laughing about Grayson moving clear of the "steaming hot water." Massey then said, "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus," and the tone of the interaction shifted dramatically.
Grayson then ordered her to drop the pot while raising his service pistol warning Massey, "You better (expletive) not or I swear to God I’ll (expletive) shoot you in your (expletive) face."
In released bodycam footage, Massey can be heard saying, "Okay, I'm sorry." As he leveled the weapon at her, Massey appeared to raise her hands and cover her head while ducking behind a cabinet. When she suddenly rose, Grayson fired three shots in rapid succession, with one of them striking Massey fatally in the head.
Prosecutors stated in court that Grayson was still positioned in the living room while Massey was in the kitchen with a counter between them. This separation was said to have allowed the deputy "distance and relative cover" from Massey potentially attacking him with the boiling water.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Grayson's partner turned to retrieve a medical kit to render first aid to Massey. As reported by Fox, he said "You can go get it, but that’s a headshot," he said. "There’s nothing you can do, man."
Speaking to his partner moments later, he said, "What else do we do? I’m not taking hot (expletive) boiling water to the (expletive) face."
Noting that Massey was still breathing, the two deputies decided to get their kits and administer aid. Grayson's partner can be heard saying, "We can at least try to stop the bleeding."
When responding officers arrived answering the call of "shots fired," Grayson reportedly informed them, "She had boiling water and came at me, with boiling water. She said she was going to rebuke me in the name of Jesus and came at me with boiling water."
Various outlets have reported Grayson as moving between six different agencies in the past four years. He explained in at least two instances that his departure was due to the roles being part-time, according to CNN. In another instance, he reported that his hours had been cut. He was let go from one agency due to his refusal to move within 10 miles of the city limits
Several outlets have also reported that Grayson had two DUI charges in 2015 and 2016. He pleaded guilty and paid fines in 2015 and in 2016 the charges were dismissed. Additionally, ABC News has recently discovered that Grayson was discharged from the Army for “misconduct (serious offense)" with less than two years of service.
Massey's family and their legal team have called upon the County to investigate the decision to hire him, citing the charges and his career history.
Former Deputy Grayson is white, and Massey was black, which has sparked heavy protest.
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