SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — An Illinois sheriff’s deputy charged with murder in the death of a black woman shot her in the face during a tense moment over a pot of water in her home, then discouraged his partner from trying to save her, authorities said Thursday.
The details were contained in a court document filed in support of holding Sangamon County Deputy Sheriff Sean Grayson without bail. County Judge Ryan M. Cadagin agreed, denying Grayson pretrial release at a hearing Thursday in Springfield.
In a courtroom guarded by a dozen sheriff’s deputies and three others patrolling the lobby, Cadagin described the actions the former deputy is accused of as “such a departure from the expectations of a civil society.”
Sonya Massey, 36, was killed at her home in the Illinois capital, about 200 miles (322 kilometers) south of Chicago, after officers responded to her 911 call about a possible prowler early July 6.
Prosecutors alleged that after Grayson allowed Massey to move a pot of water that was heating on the stove and she set it on a counter, Grayson then “aggressively yelled” at Massey over the pot and pulled out his 9 mm pistol. Massey then raised his hands in the air, said “I’m sorry” and took cover before being shot in the face. Grayson also discouraged the other deputy from getting his medical kit, prosecutors said.
“The other deputy continued to render aid to Ms. Massey and remained with her until emergency services arrived,” First Assistant District Attorney Mary Rodgers wrote. Grayson “did not attempt to render aid to Ms. Massey at any time.”
Grayson, 30, who is white, was charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct. He pleaded not guilty at his first court appearance Thursday.
More than 30 members of the Massey family and their supporters filled the courtroom seats Thursday, several of whom declined to comment afterward.
No one challenged the state’s argument that the body camera footage of the incident supported the first condition of Grayson’s detention order, that there be a strong presumption that the acts alleged in the indictment occurred. Authorities said they plan to release the body camera footage Monday.
“At no time did this defendant display anything other than callousness to human life,” Rodgers said.
Defense attorney Dan Fultz argued for Grayson’s release, saying the state’s arguments didn’t meet other arguments. Fultz said Grayson posed no threat to the community because he complied with the rules and turned himself in within a half-hour of his arrest warrant being issued.
He said the Army veteran owns a home in Riverton, a community just east of Springfield, with his fiancée, whom he plans to marry this fall. His detention would be a burden on the county, he said, because of stage 3 colon cancer diagnosed last fall that requires special medical treatment.
Fultz requested Grayson’s release on the conditions that the weapons be removed from his home, that he undergo a mental health evaluation and that he be placed on 24-hour electronic monitoring.
Cadagin ruled that Massey, weighing about 110 pounds (50 kilograms), posed no threat to Grayson, who was 6 feet 3 inches (190 centimeters) tall and weighed 228 pounds (103 kilograms), and who was armed and accompanied by another deputy, and after shooting him, refused to render aid.
Sheriff Jack Campbell said Wednesday that Grayson was fired because it was clear the deputy “did not act as he was trained or in accordance with our standards … With our badge, we accept a tremendous amount of responsibility, and if that responsibility is abused, there should be consequences.”
Ben Crump, Massey’s family attorney, said the charges were a “step toward justice for Sonya’s loved ones, especially her children, who have endured unimaginable pain and suffering since learning of this tragedy.”
As many as 200 people gathered at the Springfield NAACP building on Wednesday to express their support for Massey and his family.
“I am furious that another innocent black woman had her life taken at the hands of a police officer,” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said after the indictment.
Grayson is due back in court Aug. 26. He has been with the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department for about 18 months, Fultz said, after serving as an officer in several other central Illinois police agencies for about seven years before that.
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Perez Winder reported from Chicago and White from Detroit.
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