Sonya Massey, an Illinois woman who was fatally shot by a white police officer after calling 911, died by gunshot wound to the face, a coroner revealed, as the officer’s previous misconduct comes into light.
Massey was shot in the face below her left eye by Sangamon County Sheriff’s Former Deputy Sean Grayson, 30, on July 6. The bullet caused her skull to fracture and perforated her carotid artery, which caused her brain to bleed, before exiting the back of her upper neck, the County Coroner’s Office determined.
The 36-year-old woman also suffered from minor blunt force injuries to her right leg, the coroner said.
Massey was shot at three times by Grayson earlier this month after she called police to report a prowler. She had a pot of water boiling on the stove when he arrived, which Grayson asked her to shut off and threatened to shoot her.
Bodycam footage shows the young woman ducking and apologizing as the deputy fires three times.
Sonya Massey was shot in the face below her left eye by Sangamon County Sheriff’s Former Deputy Sean Grayson, 30, on July 6. The bullet caused her skull to fracture and perforated her carotid artery, which caused her brain to bleed, the coroner said
Massey was shot at three times by Grayson earlier this month after she called police to report a prowler. She had a pot of water boiling on the stove when he arrived, which Grayson asked her to shut off and threatened to shoot her
Grayson has since been removed from the force and charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct in Massey’s death.
The former deputy, who lost his job over the shooting, pleaded not guilty to all charges. He is currently being held in the county jail while he awaits trial.
A faulty career
This isn’t Grayson’s first go with misconduct while on the job. His discharge from the Army was listed under ‘misconduct (serious offense),’ according to documents obtained by ABC News.
The Army declined to release further information regarding Grayson’s discharge, citing the Privacy Act and Department of Defense policy that prevents the release of information regarding conduct of low-level employees.
Grayson worked as a Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic for the Army between May 2014 to February 2016 and he left with a rank of private first class, a spokesperson told ABC News.
During his time in the military, he was charged with a DUI offense in Illinois in August 2015 and another shortly after his discharge in July 2016 in the same county, ABC News reported.
This isn’t Grayson’s first go with misconduct while on the job. His discharge from the Army was listed under ‘misconduct (serious offense).’ Grayson has also hopped around various police forces, working for six agencies in four years
He paid thousands of dollars in fines for the unlawful act and his car was impounded after the 2015 incident, records show.
Grayson has also hopped around various police forces, working for six agencies in four years.
He was fired from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s on July 6, the same day as the shooting.
‘It is clear that the deputy did not act as trained or in accordance with our standards. Therefore, Sean Grayson’s employment with the Sheriff’s Office has been terminated,’ Sheriff Jack Campbell said in a July 17 Facebook statement.
What led to the shooting of Sonya Massey
Sean Grayson and another Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy were called to Sonya Massey’s home for a suspected prowler at 12:50 a.m. July 6.
The two officers searched the exterior of the home for 30 minutes, discovering only a car with smashed windows.
During her interactions with the officers, Massey made several mentions of Jesus Christ and the Bible.
Massey had placed a pot of possibly hot water on the counter on Grayson’s instructions.
The victim made a comment about ‘rebuking’ Grayson in the name of Jesus Christ.
Grayson was in the living room when he then drew his firearm and threatened to shoot Massey in the face, prompting her to put her hands in the air, say, ‘I’m sorry.’
Massey ducks for cover behind a counter separating the two.
Grayson moved closer, yelled at Massey to put the pot down and opened fire, hitting her three times, once in the head.
Grayson did not render aid and discouraged the other deputy not to provide help.
The second deputy, who was not named, stayed by Massey until medics arrived. She was pronounced dead at St. John’s Hospital.
In a follow-up statement on July 22, the sheriff wrote: ‘Grayson had other options available that he should have used. His actions were inexcusable and do not reflect the values or training of our office. He will now face judgment by the criminal justice system and will never again work in law enforcement.
‘Ms. Massey needlessly lost her life, and her family deserves answers. I trust the legal process will provide them.’
His first police job was at the Pawnee Police Department, where he held a part-time position between August 2020 and July 2021, according to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB).
He also worked at the Kincaid Police Department from February 2021 to May 2021 and Virden Police Department from May 2021 to December 2021. Both were part-time positions.
Grayson held full-time positions from Auburn Police Department from July 2021 to May 2022 and Logan County Sheriff’s Office from May 2022 to April 2023.
He started at Sangamon County in May 2023, according to ILETSB.
Bodycam footage
Grayson and his partner arrived at Massey’s Springfield home in the early morning hours of July 6 after she called authorities.
The three spoke at Massey’s front door before she later let them into her home, where Grayson asked her to check on a pot of water she had boiling on the stove.
‘We don’t need a fire while we’re in here,’ he tells the mother-of-two.
She asked the officers where they were going as she went to turn off the pot, which Grayson replied: ‘Away from your hot, steaming water.’
‘Away from my hot, steaming water?’ she replied. ‘I rebuke you in the name of Jesus. I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.’
‘You’d better f**king not. I swear to God, I’ll f**king shoot you right in your f**king face,’ Grayson said, before telling her to ‘drop the f**king pot.’
The 36-year-old apologies before ducking for cover as the former deputy fires three shots.
The mother-of-two’s family have since confirmed that she suffered from mental health issues with The Guardian reporting that Massey was a paranoid schizophrenic.
Flanked by civil rights attorney Ben Crump on Monday, Massey’s father, James Wilburn raged about the shooting.
‘This man should have never had a badge. He should have never had a gun. What an embarrassment. What an embarrassment to this country.’
According to her obituary, Massey was born in San Diego and was active in her local church in Springfield. ‘She loved to do hair and spend time with her family,’ one section reads. She was a mother to two children, a son Malachi, and daughter, Jeanette.
