A former sheriff’s deputy charged with the murder of Sonya Massey has testified that his “actions matched threat level.”
Massey, a 36-year-old Black single mother, was shot and killed in July 2024 by Sean Grayson, a white man who worked for the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office in Illinois at the time, after reporting a suspected prowler on her property near Springfield.
Grayson gave testimony during his murder trial Monday, in which he argued he shot Massey in self-defense after she told him she would “rebuke him in the name of Jesus.”
“It threw me off; it was out of nowhere,” Grayson said of Massey’s comment while on the stand, according to WBEZ Chicago.
While police were inside Massey’s home she removed a pot of water from the stove in her kitchen.
During the interaction with Grayson and another officer, she said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” according to body camera footage shared by Fox Baltimore.
Grayson then yelled, “You better f***ing not. I swear to God I’ll f***ing shoot you in your f***ing face,” and pulled a gun on her.
He ended up shooting her three times, with one of the bullets hitting Massey below the left eye, the Associated Press reported.
Grayson claimed in court he shot Massey because he thought she was about to throw a pot of boiling water at him.
“We are trained to use force that will gain compliance to get the situation under control,” Grayson said, adding, “In this situation, I matched the threat level, and the only thing that would have stopped the threat was my duty weapon.”
Grayson is facing three counts of first-degree murder, which, if convicted, could land him 45 years to life in prison.
Massey’s murder sparked protests in several cities, including Chicago, New York City and Atlanta.
In August, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed “Sonya Massey’s Bill” into law, which revised police hiring procedures. Massey’s family also reached a $10 million settlement with officials in Sangamon County in February.
The defense rested its case Monday, and closing arguments and jury deliberations are set to begin Tuesday, according to NBC News.
