Jury begins deliberating in trial of ex-officer Sean Grayson in Sonya Massey murder

Jurors began deliberating late Tuesday morning in the murder trial of former Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson. Grayson faces three counts of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Sonya Massey, an unarmed Black woman who had called police for help.

The jury received the case following closing arguments from both prosecutors and defense attorneys. The incident in question occurred in July 2024, when Massey called 911 to report a prowler. Grayson was among the officers who responded to the call.

During the interaction at Massey’s home in the Springfield area, Massey walked toward a pot of water on the stove. She told officers, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” before the officers pulled out their weapons, yelling for her to drop the pot. It was at this moment that Grayson shot Massey.

Grayson took the stand on Monday to share his version of events. He admitted that when he and his partner arrived at the scene on July 6, 2024, his body-worn camera was not on. “I should have turned it on when I saw the broken windows of the car outside,” Grayson told jurors.

He explained that the broken window, Massey’s call for help, and the four-minute delay before she answered the door made him concerned that someone else could have been inside the house. Grayson also claimed he believed Massey was possibly under the influence of something and described her as “scatterbrained.”

Grayson said he activated his body camera as he began questioning Massey. He testified that Massey had a pot of boiling water on the stove, and he believed she was threatening to throw it on him when he opened fire. “I saw the bottom of the pot was turning red, so it seemed very hot,” he said. “Then she picked up the pot and walked towards me. I wasn’t quite sure what she was going to do.”

He recounted that Massey asked, “Where are you going?” and he responded, “away from your hot steaming water. I took it as a threat,” he said. “It raises a lot of concern for me, and I believe she’s going to throw the water. We were trained to use force that’s going to gain compliance.”

Grayson also noted that he was equipped with a Taser but testified, “She was wearing layers and both prongs have to stick in for the Taser to work.”

Last week, jurors heard from Grayson’s partner, who stated he was not afraid of Massey but admitted he was afraid of Grayson.

The jury for the trial was selected last week and is composed of nine women and three men. One juror is Black.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/closing-arguments-sonya-massey-murder-trial/

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