Former Illinois deputy sentenced to 20 years for US killing of Sonya Massey

Sean Grayson fatally shot Massey after she called police to her home, in a killing that sparked outrage and protests.

A former Illinois sheriff’s deputy has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for fatally shooting a 36-year-old woman who called police to her home for help.

The 2024 killing of Sonya Massey sparked widespread protests amid a wider reckoning over police conduct towards Black residents in the United States.

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Sean Grayson, 31, was convicted in October of second-degree murder for the fatal shooting. On Thursday, he received the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

During sentencing, Grayson apologised, saying he wished he could bring Massey back. His lawyer had asked for a sentence of six years.

“I made a lot of mistakes that night. There were points when I should’ve acted, and I didn’t. I froze,” he said during the hearing. “I made terrible decisions that night. I’m sorry.”

Massey, who suffered from mental health issues, had called police to her home in the Illinois state capital, Springfield, saying she was afraid of a prowler outside.

Body camera footage of her exchange with police showed that Massey appeared confused, repeating, “Please, God.”

Inside her home, Grayson noticed a boiling pot of water and asked Sheriff’s Deputy Dawson Farley to move it. Instead, Massey went to the stove and picked up the pot, appearing to tease Grayson for moving away from “the hot, steaming water”.

She then said: “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”

Grayson drew his firearm. Massey set the pot down and ducked behind a counter. When she appeared to pick up the pot again, Grayson opened fire, hitting Massey three times in the face.

During the trial, Massey’s parents and two children said their lives had been forever changed.

“Today, I’m afraid to call the police in fear that I might end up like Sonya,” her mother Donna Massey said during the hearing.

Massey’s daughter Summer told reporters on Thursday that “20 years is not enough”.

Grayson was initially charged with three counts of first-degree murder, which could have led to a life sentence. However, the jury convicted him of the lesser charge of second-degree murder, arguing that evidence shows that Grayson honestly thought he was in danger.

Massey’s killing sparked a US Justice Department inquiry, after which the Sangamon County agreed to implement more de-escalation training for law enforcement and collect more use-of-force data.

The controversy also prompted the sheriff who hired Grayson to retire.

Since Massey’s death, Illinois law has changed to require full background checks for candidates applying for law enforcement jobs. The law, praised as a step towards police accountability, is known as the Sonya Massey Act.