A former Illinois sheriff’s deputy has been sentenced to the maximum 20 years in prison for the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, an unarmed Black woman who called 911 for help. The July 2024 case, which drew national outrage, concluded with the judge condemning the officer's "unreasonable rage."
According to court records and a Reuters report, Sean Grayson, a former Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy, was convicted in October of second-degree murder for killing 36-year-old Massey in her Springfield home. The incident occurred after Massey reported a broken window and a possible intruder.
On the night of the tragedy, Grayson and another deputy responded to the 911 call. Prosecutors stated that during the encounter, Massey was holding a pot of boiling water that the deputies had asked her to check. 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.
Grayson's defense argued he feared Massey would throw the water, but Judge Ryan Cadigan highlighted the unjustified violence during sentencing. “That bit of unreasonable rage needs to be deterred,” Judge Cadigan of the 7th Judicial Circuit Court of Illinois said.
Before sentencing, Grayson apologized to Massey’s family for his "terrible decisions." His attorney, Mark Wykoff, cited Grayson's Stage 3 colon cancer as a reason to avoid prison, a request the judge denied. The case was widely compared to other high-profile instances of police violence against Black Americans. Massey's family had previously received a $10 million settlement from Sangamon County.
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