FILE PHOTO: Donna Massey, the mother of Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman shot and killed by an Illinois sheriff's deputy during a call for help at her home, reacts after speaking during a press conference and rally at New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., July 30, 2024. REUTERS/Vincent Alban/File Photo
A deputy faces up to 20 years in prison after he was convicted Wednesday of murdering a Black woman who called 911 seeking help.
Sean Grayson, 31, is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 29 after being convicted of second-degree murder.
Grayson and another deputy were called to Massey’s home in Springfield, Illinois, in the early morning hours of July 6, 2024, after she reported a prowler, CNN reported. Grayson shot Massey after confronting her about how she was handling a pot of hot water she had taken off the stove. Grayson has said he feared she would scald him with the water.
The case hinged on body camera footage taken by the other deputy, which appeared to show Massey was struggling with a mental health episode, at one point telling deputies, “Don’t hurt me,” and repeating, “Please God.”