An Illinois judge has sentenced a former sheriff’s deputy to the maximum 20 years in prison for the July 2024 fatal shooting of an unarmed black woman in her home after she called 911 to report a possible intruder, according to court records.
Reuters on Thursday night reported that Sean Grayson, a former Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy, was convicted in October of second-degree murder in the death of Sonya Massey, 36, at her home in Springfield, Illinois.
The case drew national attention and was likened to other high-profile instances of law enforcement officers using excessive force against Black Americans.
On the night of her death, Massey called 911 after discovering a broken window in her home and fearing a prowler might be inside. Grayson and another deputy responded to the call and entered the residence, where they asked Massey for identification, according to court testimony.
During the encounter, Massey was holding a pot of boiling water that deputies had asked her to check on. Grayson’s attorneys argued in court that he believed Massey was going to throw the pot of water at him.
First Assistant State’s Attorney Mary Beth Rodgers told the court that Massey complied with the order to drop the pot and was then shot by Grayson as he cursed at her.
“That bit of unreasonable rage needs to be deterred,” Judge Ryan Cadigan of the 7th Judicial Circuit Court of Illinois said during sentencing.
According to media accounts, Grayson apologized in court on Thursday to Massey’s family for his actions and “terrible decisions” that night.
Grayson’s defense attorney, Mark Wykoff, asked the judge to spare Grayson a prison sentence, citing that he is suffering from Stage 3 colon cancer that has spread, according to media reports.
Massey’s family was previously awarded a $10 million settlement from Sangamon County over her death.
