A then-Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy shot Sonya Massey in the face while in her home, even as Massey put her arms in the air and said “I’m sorry” while ducking for cover.
The facts emerged from charging documents against Sean P. Grayson as he was arraigned before Presiding Circuit Judge Ryan Cadagin in Sangamon County Court Thursday on three counts of first-degree murder and two other counts from the July 6 shooting in Massey’s home in the 2800 block of Hoover Avenue, in an unincorporated area of Woodside Township.
Grayson, a Riverton resident who had been with the sheriff’s department since May 2023 before being terminated from his job by Sheriff Jack Campbell on Wednesday, pleaded not guilty to all five counts.
More:Springfield-area deputy indicted; faces three murder charges in killing of Sonya Massey
The 30-year-old Grayson was wearing a striped jumpsuit and handcuffed and seated at the defense table with Springfield attorney, Dan Fultz. Grayson did not speak during the 25-minute hearing.
Cadagin said Grayson’s callousness during and after the shooting, including not rendering help to Massey, was one of the reasons he ordered Grayson to continue to be detained pre-trial, denying his petition in accordance with the Pre-Trial Fairness Act.
According to documents, Grayson drew his 9-millimeter and threatened to shoot Massey in the face. Grayson “aggressively yelled” for Massey to put down a pot of boiling water.
As Grayson drew close to her, he fired three times, striking her once in the face.
Grayson had not activated his body worn camera until then, though another sheriff’s deputy, who has not been named, had his activated after arriving at Massey’s house.
Grayson, the documents said, instructed the other deputy not to retrieve a medical kit from his vehicle because of the severity of Massey’s injury.
The other deputy did render aid and stayed with Massey until an ambulance arrived.
An expert in the field of “use of force” reviewed the body cam footage as part of the Illinois State Police investigation and concluded that Grayson was not justified in the use of deadly force.
The expert “likened the scenario to an officer intentionally and unnecessarily putting himself in front of a moving vehicle and then justifying use of force because of fear of being struck.”
The body cam footage is set to be released to the public Monday morning.
In court, Fultz said Grayson wasn’t a threat to flee, saying he had remained at home since the shooting.
Grayson, who has worked for several other law enforcement agencies in the area, was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer in October 2023. Fultz said Grayson had “a medical incident” overnight with his colostomy bag, another reason he asked that Grayson be released.
A large contingent of Massey’s family attended the hearing and several people in the courtroom applauded Cadagin’s decision.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has been retained by Massey’s family and is expected in Springfield soon, lauded Cadagin’s decision, saying it spoke to “the gravity of the charges and the severity of the officer’s actions.”
Several members of the Springfield NAACP, the Faith Coalition for the Common Good and Black Lives Matter Springfield were also in attendance.
Gov. JB Pritzker, attending an event in Decatur, called the shooting “heartbreaking.”
“I feel,” Pritzker said, “not just for the family of the victim, but also the families of Sangamon County and then all people of color who have had to endure these kinds of circumstances and to witness them because it affects everyone, even if it hasn’t happened to you specifically.”
The case has generated international attention and led to a number of protests, including one that drew about 200 people to the Springfield NAACP Building Wednesday afternoon.
Campbell, in a statement Wednesday, said Grayson “did not act as trained or in accordance with our standards” and his actions “do not reflect the values and training of the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office or law enforcement as a whole.”
A dozen uniformed personnel were in the courtroom with several more deputies in the hallway.
Grayson’s next hearing is Aug. 26.
Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.
