By: Greg Lewis
Published on July 23, 2024, 6:20p.m. EST
Sangamon County, Illinois’ sheriff’s office has officially released body camera footage that captured deputy Sean Grayson on July 6, when he fatally shot and killed Sonya Massey, 36, in the comforts of her own home after she called 911 to report a suspected intruder.
The video footage shows Grayson instructing Massey— a Black woman— to step away from a heated pot of boiling water on the stove inside her kitchen. Massey is heard saying, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” to which Grayson responds: “You better fucking not, or I swear to God I’ll fucking shoot you in the fucking face.” When Grayson reveals his gun, pointing it at Massey, the woman states, “I’m sorry,” while apparently ducking and lifting the pot.
Three shots were fired soon after both deputies could be heard yelling: “Drop the fucking pot.” Of the three shots Grayson fired, one struck Massey in the face. When the other deputy present announces that he is going to retrieve an aid kit, Grayson tells him: “Nah, she’s done. You can go get it, but that’s a headshot … Dude, I’m not taking fucking boiling water to the fucking head. And look, it came right to our feet, too.”
Grayson has been indicted on three counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated battery with a firearm, and one count of official misconduct. He has been denied pretrial release and entered a not-guilty plea. A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for Aug. 26 at 9 a.m. “It is clear that the deputy did not act as trained or in accordance with our standards,” Sheriff Jack Campbell wrote in a statement. “Therefore, Sean Grayson’s employment with the Sheriff’s Office has been terminated.”
Reported documents from CNN, show Grayson body camera was not yet activated until the shots were fired at Massey.
In the afternoon of July 6, the Sangamon County sheriff’s office released a statement on social media detailing the fatal shooting. “Deputies immediately administered first aid until EMS arrived,” the office stated. “The woman was transported to St. John’s Hospital, where she was later pronounced deceased. No deputies were injured during the incident.”
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