Illinois jury weighs case against ex-deputy who killed unarmed Black woman

By Rich McKay Oct 29 (Reuters) – An Illinois jury deliberated for a second day on Wednesday in the trial of a former sheriff's deputy charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of an unarmed Black woman in her home after she called 911 to report a prowler. Sean Grayson, 31, was dismissed from his job with the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office and charged with three counts of first-degree murder after firing three shots at Sonya Massey, 36, in her Springfield home in July 2024, according to the indictment. Grayson, who is white and pleaded not guilty, also faces charges of aggravated battery and official misconduct. The shooting, which the victim's family likened to other high-profile cases in which law enforcement has used excessive force on Black Americans, has garnered national attention, but not the level of scrutiny given to cases such as the choking death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, both in 2020. In the case against Grayson, the jury deliberated for 6-1/2 hours on Tuesday. ACCUSED SAYS HE ACTED IN SELF-DEFENSE His attorneys have argued in court that the former deputy acted in self-defense, according to the Chicago Sun-Times and other media. Grayson had believed Massey was ready to throw a pot of hot water at him, even after he ordered her to put it down, news outlets reported. Prosecutors argued that Massey was trying to comply when she was shot. Neither Grayson's lead defense attorney, Dan Fultz, nor Massey's family attorney, Ben Crump, immediately returned calls seeking comment. Massey, a mother of two teenagers, had called police about a suspected intruder in her home, according to Crump. About a month after the shooting, Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell retired. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and others had called for him to step down. Massey's family was awarded a $10 million settlement from Sangamon County in February. (Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta Editing by Rod Nickel)

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