Sheriff’s Deputy Who Shot Sonya Massey to Death Had Six Law Enforcement Jobs in Four Years

(NewsSpace.com) – When citizens feel as though they’re in danger, they often call the police for help. That’s exactly what 36-year-old Sonya Massey did in the early morning hours of Saturday, July 6. Sadly, the night took a devastating turn when the woman was shot and killed in her home. A sheriff’s deputy was arrested and charged with her murder, and even more is coming out about him now.

According to the bodycam footage, Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson and his partner were in Massey’s house when Grayson told Massey to check on a pot of boiling water to prevent a fire. She grabbed the pot and said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” Grayson threatened to shoot her in the face before she dumped the pot in the sink and apologized. At that point, Massey ducked down behind the counter. When she stood up, Grayson fired off three rounds. The incident killed Massey. An autopsy later found she died of a gunshot wound to the head that went in underneath her left eye and exited her neck.

Grayson’s work history recently came to light. Since 2020, he has worked in six different police jobs in Illinois, according to ABC News. Three of those were full-time jobs, while three were part-time, in two sheriff’s offices and four police departments. Grayson worked at three of those four police departments in 2021, his shortest term lasting three months with the Kincaid Police Department. He reportedly refused to live within a 10-mile radius of the village.

Following the incident, the Sangamon Sheriff’s Office fired Grayson, and an Illinois State Police review found that he was not justified in his use of deadly force against an unarmed Massey. Grayson was subsequently arrested and charged with aggravated battery with a firearm, first-degree murder, and official misconduct. He pleaded not guilty to all of the counts.