Topline Sonya Massey, a Black woman from Illinois, was fatally shot in her home by a former deputy after reporting a suspected prowler to 911 last month, leading to outrage and criminal charges against the officer—and the resignation of the county sheriff Friday. This undated photo provided by the family's lawyers in July 2024 shows Sonya Massey of Springfield, ..
. [+] Ill. Key Facts Massey—a 36-year-old mother of two—was fatally shot by Sean Grayson, a former Sangamon County police deputy, on the morning of July 6 in her Springfield, Illinois home after reporting a suspected intruder to 911.
Grayson, 30, was indicted on July 17 and pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder, and one count each of official misconduct and aggravated battery with a firearm, NPR Illinois reported . The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement following the indictment saying Grayson “did not act as trained or in accordance with our standards,” and confirmed he was terminated from his position. Civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump, who represents Massey’s family, said Grayson’s indictment was a “step toward justice for Sonya’s loved ones.
” On Monday, the Illinois State Police released 36 minutes of body cam footage of the incident from Grayson and the other officer who responded to Massey’s house that morning, causing social media to erupt, with many comparing Massey’s case to the fatal police shooting involving other Black women l.