An Illinois State Police summary revealed Sangamon County Deputy Sean Grayson shot Sonya Massey in the face following a dispute over a pot of steaming water.
When Grayson and another deputy arrived at Massey’s home shortly before 1 a.m. on July 6, they knocked on the door and allegedly found her “distraught and not thinking clearly.” There was a pot of hot water on the stove that Massey carried to the sink and turned on the faucet. The victim asked the deputies what they were doing and Grayson responded with, “getting away from your hot, steaming water.”
Then, Massey allegedly said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” twice. Grayson responded, “I swear to God. I will shoot you right in your f—— face,” according to the summary.
According to the summary, Grayson then drew his weapon and ordered Massey to drop the pot. She crouched below the cabinets with her hands raised before apologizing. As the deputy approached Massey, she stood up quickly and grabbed the pot. She then threw the steaming hot water on a chair next to the cabinets. Grayson warned her to drop the pot as he approached.
The deputy fired three shots, hitting Massey once in the face after allegedly throwing the water.
According to the Illinois State Police, the second deputy on site wanted to retrieve a medical kit, but Grayson told him not to due to how serious Massey’s injuries were. He decided to render aid and stayed with the victim until medical help arrived. Records show Grayson never tried to help Massey.
State police documents included a use-of-force review, which found Grayson was justified in pointing his service weapon at the victim in hopes of getting her to comply. However, the shooting was not justified due to the deputy moving toward Massey, putting himself in the position to be injured.
Grayson was indicted and charged with three counts of first-degree murder , aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct on July 18. In a statement, Ben Crump, the civil rights attorney representing Massey’s family, said “this news is a step toward justice for Sonya’s loved ones, especially her children, who have endured unimaginable pain and suffering since they were notified of this tragedy.”
He added, “We remain committed to uncovering the truth of what happened and identifying the failures that allowed this tragic death to occur.”
According to CNN, Grayson entered a not guilty plea during his arraignment and was denied pretrial release. Prosecutors made the argument that Grayson was a threat to the community and the request was granted by a judge. Grayson’s pretrial hearing is scheduled for August 26.
Massey’s death sparked outrage from community leaders as she initially called the police after she reported a possible prowler. Crump is demanding body cam footage to be released.
“It is extremely hard to imagine how a woman who calls the police out of fear of an intruder ends up shot in the head by the police at her own home,” he said.
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