Latest news with #SeanGrayson
CBS News
5 days ago
- CBS News
Sean Grayson files new motion claiming self-defense in fatal shooting of Sonya Massey
The former Sangamon County deputy accused of killing Sonya Massey last year has filed a new motion claiming self-defense. Sean Grayson shot and killed Massey after responding to her 911 call, saying there was someone outside her house. Grayson's attorneys are now asking a judge to let them submit evidence that backs up the claim, including evidence of her state of mind and that she was known to be violent. His lawyers said that Massey had previously attacked a neighbor and had texted people that she was having mental issues before the shooting. Grayson shot her when she checked on a pot of boiling water in her own kitchen while saying, "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus." Before Grayson was hired in Sangamon County, questions about his conduct were well-documented by other police agencies. However, those concerns were somehow never shared with the Sangamon County Sheriff's office during the hiring process.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Town hall held to prepare Peoria for Sonya Massey's trial
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — A town hall was held Thursday in Peoria at the East Bluff Community Center to educate people about the upcoming Sonya Massey trial. It is a case that's grabbing national attention. Last summer, Sonya Massey, 36, was shot and killed in her home by a Sangamon County deputy. That deputy, Sean Grayson, is now charged with first-degree murder and other crimes. The case has gotten so much attention that it's been moved from Sangamon to Peoria County. So with such a high-profile trial coming to town, Sonya Massey's cousin, Sontae Massey, was at the town hall to answer questions about the trial and what he hopes to see. 'I just want the people of Peoria and Tazewell County to be upset,' Massey said. 'It's an obvious slap in the face and it's an insult to think that they can move this over here and take advantage of the people over here.' One supporter, Chama St. Louis, said Peoria has the family's back. 'Peorians are not going to sit down and sit back and just kind of let something happen,' St. Louis said. 'We don't agree with what happened to Sonya Massey in Springfield. And so this is our way of showing that solidarity and to let the family know that we have their back here in Peoria as well.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Illinois House passes legislation requiring more thorough background checks for police hiring after Sonya Massey killing
The Illinois House passed legislation on Thursday requiring more thorough background checks before police officers are hired, less than a year after a Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy shot and killed Sonya Massey. Massey was shot and killed last July by former Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy Sean Grayson last summer inside her home near Springfield. Grayson has been fired and charged with first-degree murder in Massey's killing, and questions have been raised about why he was hired in the first place, given concerns about his conduct at past police jobs. Grayson shot and killed Massey as she was checking on a pot of boiling water in her kitchen while saying "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus," but prosecutors have said Grayson asked her to move the pot off the stove, and that she never posed a danger that justified the use of lethal force. By a 101-12 vote on Thursday, the Illinois House approved legislation sponsored by state Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) that would require more comprehensive background checks before hiring police or other law enforcement officers in Illinois. Law enforcement agencies would not be allowed to make a final job offer for police officers without first inspecting all of their prior employment records. Anyone applying for a police officer job in Illinois would be required to authorize all previous employers, including other law enforcement agencies, to provide full employment records – including "duty-related physical and psychological fitness-for-duty examinations; work performance records," and any criminal records or records of other investigations connected to their conduct on the job. Before Grayson was hired in Sangamon County, questions about his conduct were well-documented by other police agencies. But those concerns were somehow never shared with the Sangamon County Sheriff's office during the hiring process. In his fifth police job, he refused to terminate a high-speed chase and drove more than 110 mph — only coming to an end when he hit a deer. A report from a department where Grayson was employed also said he struggled with report writing and was aggressive in his pursuit for drugs. "It's just sad that we had to have had a tragedy like this with the Sonya Massey murder to realize that we are doing things wrong," said Buckner. "This is an opportunity to have some checks and some balances and some processes to make sure that we don't find ourselves in the same position and situation that we did when Sean Grayson was hired." The legislation was passed unanimously by the Illinois Senate last month, and will go to Gov. JB Pritzker's desk. Grayson is scheduled to go on trial in October in Peoria County. The Illinois Supreme Court is weighing a request from Grayson to be released from jail ahead of his trial.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Yahoo
Sean Grayson due in court for trial relocation hearing
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Sean Grayson is due in court Tuesday for a preliminary hearing that will affect the future of the July, Grayson and another Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy responded to Sonya Massey's 911 call after she said she saw a prowler near her house. Body camera footage shows Grayson shot Massey, a Black woman, in the head after she moved a pot of boiling water from her was charged with first-degree murder and fired from the sheriff's office. He pleaded not guilty. PREVIOUSLY: IL Supreme Court rules to keep Sean Grayson in jail Grayson's legal team previously filed a motion to move the trial out of Sangamon County, arguing that local news coverage of Massey's death would make it impossible to find an impartial former deputy is currently being held in the Macon County Jail. This is a developing story that will be updated. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Water main break affecting service, traffic in Springfield
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — A water main break in Springfield is affecting approximately 75 customers. Water service to customers along parts of Calhoun Ave., Rutledge St. and Elliot Ave. is being interrupted while City Water, Light and Power (CWLP) crews make repairs and restore service. Service is estimated to be restored later Tuesday evening. IL Supreme Court rules to keep Sean Grayson in jail Water service areas impacted include: Calhoun Ave. from Bond St. to Rutlege St. Rutledge St. from N Grand Ave. to Calhoun Ave. Elliot Ave. from Rutledge St. to 1st St. The intersection of Bond St. and Calhoun Ave. will have lane closures to accommodate the work. Lanes will stay closed after repairs until road surface work is finished. Drivers are asked to plan for alternative routes and slow down to be aware of repair crews, construction and equipment in and near roadways. Customers with questions can contact Water Dispatch at 217-789-2323 and updates to the work status may be posted to CWLP's Facebook and X pages. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
