Sonya Massey ducked and apologized to an Illinois sheriff's deputy only seconds before he shot her three times in her own home, as seen in body camera video released Monday. The video's release came days after a grand jury indicted former Sangamon County Sheriff's Deputy Sean Grayson. Officials said Massey's family viewed the footage on Wednesday, the AP reports. The video confirmed prosecutors' earlier account of the tense moment when Grayson yelled from across a counter at 36-year-old Massey to set down a pot from the stove just seconds after she started pouring the water into the sink and the two chuckled over the "hot steaming water."
He then threatened to shoot her, Massey ducked then briefly rose, and Grayson fired his pistol at her three times. Authorities said Massey had called 911 to report a suspected prowler. The video showed the two deputies responded just before 1am July 6, first walking around the house and finding a black SUV with broken windows in the driveway. It took Massey three minutes to open the door after the deputies knocked, and she immediately said "Don't hurt me." She seemed confused as they spoke at her front door and repeated that she needed help, referenced God, and told them she didn't know who owned the car. The video doesn't show what led Massey and Grayson to walk inside her house, followed by the other unidentified deputy.
The deputies seemed exasperated as she sat on her couch and went through her purse as they asked for identification, per the AP. Then Grayson pointed out a pot sitting on a flame on the stove. "We don't need a fire while we're here," he said. Massey got up and went to the stove, moving the pot near a sink. She and Grayson seemed to laugh before she said, "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus." He answered, "You better (expletive) not or I swear to God I'll (expletive) shoot you in your (expletive) face." Grayson then pulled his 9mm pistol and said "Drop the (expletive) pot." Massey said, "OK, I'm sorry." In Grayson's bodycam footage, he pointed his weapon at her. She ducked and raised her hands. After Grayson shot her, the other deputy said "I'm gonna go get my kit." Grayson said, "No, it's a headshot. She done."
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