A Black woman was fatally shot in her home by a cop after calling 911 for help. He’s now on trial for her murder
Sean Grayson, an ex-Illinois sheriff’s deputy, is on trial for murder charges after he fatally shot a Black woman who called 911 for help last summer.
Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old single mother of two teenagers, called 911 on July 6, 2024, to report a suspected prowler on her property near Springfield, Illinois. When Grayson responded to the call, he fired his gun at Massey in her home after confronting her over a pot of hot water she was holding.
Massey’s killing prompted calls for reform and a wave of protests in several cities, including Chicago, New York City and Atlanta. Former President Joe Biden also issued a statement mourning Massey and condemning her killing.
“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,” Biden said.
Grayson, who is white, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges. His trial began Monday and has included bombshell testimony from forensic pathologist Nathaniel Patterson, who told the jury Massey could’ve survived if she had received prompt medical treatment.
Here’s what to know about the case:
Massey called emergency responders on July 6, 2024, over a suspected prowler on her property. Grayson, a Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy at the time, responded to the scene with his partner, Sheriff’s Deputy Dawson Farley. Body camera footage shows Grayson and Farley entering Massey’s home.
As the officers spoke to Massey, she went to her kitchen and started handling a pot of hot water. Grayson backed away, and Massey asked why. He told her it was to avoid the “hot, steaming water.”
Massey responded, “Away from my hot, steaming water? I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” Grayson later said he thought this remark meant she wanted to kill him.
Grayson drew his gun and yelled for her to drop the pot. Massey apologized, dropped the pot and ducked behind the counter, but as Grayson continued to shout, she appeared to pick it up again, according to the Associated Press.
Grayson then fired his gun three times, hitting Massey once on the left side of her face. She was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Grayson, 31, was fired from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office and arrested less than two weeks after the shooting.
Grayson worked at six different law enforcement agencies over four years before he was hired by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department. Grayson has also been convicted twice of driving under the influence. His first DUI conviction led to his discharge from the U.S. military in 2016, according to the Associated Press.
There’s no indication Grayson was fired from any jobs before he was hired by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, but his past supervisors did express concern about him, the Associated Press reports. One department reported he had a good attitude but struggled to write reports, was “not great with evidence” and was “a bragger,” according to the outlet.
