SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson took the stand in his own defense, telling jurors he believed he was in danger when he fatally shot 36-year-old Sonya Massey, CBS News reported.
Grayson faces three counts of first-degree murder. His Oct. 27 testimony marked the first time the jury heard directly from him, as the defense began presenting its case after a week of prosecution witnesses, according to the report.
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Jurors previously heard from Grayson’s former partner, Deputy Dawson Farley, who testified that Massey did not appear to be a threat — but that he feared Grayson’s behavior during the encounter.
On the witness stand, Grayson acknowledged that he did not activate his body-worn camera upon arriving at Massey’s home.
“I should have turned it on when I saw the broken windows of the car,” he said, explaining that the delay in Massey answering the door and her initial demeanor raised concerns that someone else could be inside or that she might be under the influence.
According to Grayson, he became alarmed when he saw a pot of boiling water on the stove. He stated that Massey lifted the pot and walked toward him.
“I wasn’t quite sure what she was going to do…” he said. “It raises a lot of concern for me, and I believe she’s going to throw the water.”
Grayson told jurors that he believed a TASER would be ineffective because Massey was wearing layered clothing.
“The only thing I had to stop the threat was my duty weapon,” he said.
Body camera footage from Grayson’s partner, released earlier in the trial, captured Massey saying “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus” before she was shot.
“I’ll [expletive] shoot you right in your [expletive] face,” Grayson can be heard saying, which prosecutors noted was missing from his official incident report. Asked about the omission, Grayson responded that he wasn’t sure why he didn’t include it.
Testimonies concluded on Oct. 27, according to the report. Closing statements were scheduled for the 28.
