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The Illinois deputy who fatally shot Sonya Massey after she called 911 for help thought she intended to kill him when she said "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus," according to his field report per CNN.
Massey called 911 on July 6 to report a possible intruder at her home. One of the Sangamon County deputies who responded to the call, Sean Grayson, shot and killed Massey following an exchange over a pot of hot water.
Prior to the shooting, Grayson had directed Massey to remove the pot of water from her stove. As Massey grabbed the pot, Grayson moved away from the "hot steaming water," according to his field report released on Monday (August 5).
“Sonya turned to face me holding the pot. I did not know the type of liquid that was boiling,” Grayson wrote in his report following the incident. “I advised Sonya to put the boiling liquid down. Sonya stated (she) was going to rebuke me in the name of Jesus. She stated this twice. I interpreted this to mean she was going to kill me.”
Following Massey's comment, Grayson pulled out his gun as she ducked behind a counter. Grayson said he walked around the counter out of fear that she would grab a hidden weapon.
Grayson was indicted on July 17 on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct. He was fired from the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell has admitted that deputies "failed" Massey on the night of July 6.
“(Sonya Massey) called for help and we failed,” the sheriff said of the shooting. “We did not do our jobs. We failed Sonya. We failed Sonya’s family and friends. We failed the community."
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