An Illinois court 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 who had called 911 for help, court records show.
According to Reuters, Sean Grayson, a former Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy, was convicted in October of second-degree murder in the death of 36-year-old Sonya Massey at her home in Springfield, Illinois. The sentencing was delivered on Thursday.
The case attracted national outrage and was widely compared to other high-profile incidents involving the use of excessive force by law enforcement officers against Black Americans.
On the night of the incident, Massey had contacted emergency services after noticing a broken window in her home and fearing a possible intruder. Grayson and another deputy responded to the call and entered the residence, where they requested Massey’s identification, according to testimony presented in court.
During the encounter, Massey was holding a pot of boiling water that deputies had earlier asked her to check. Grayson’s defense argued that he believed Massey intended to throw the pot at him.
However, First Assistant State’s Attorney Mary Beth Rodgers told the court that Massey had complied with orders to drop the pot before Grayson shot her, while verbally abusing her.
“That bit of unreasonable rage needs to be deterred,” Judge Ryan Cadigan of the 7th Judicial Circuit Court said during sentencing.
Media reports indicate that Grayson apologized in court to Massey’s family, expressing regret over what he described as “terrible decisions” made that night.
Grayson’s attorney, Mark Wykoff, had urged the court to consider leniency, citing that his client is battling Stage 3 colon cancer that has spread.
Prior to the criminal sentencing, Massey’s family reached a $10 million civil settlement with Sangamon County over her death.
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