Former USA Police officer Sean Grayson, convicted of killing black woman Sonya Massey, has died in prison at the age of 32.
Grayson shot Massey, 36, at her home in Springfield, Illinois, in July 2024, after she called police to report an alleged intruder.
The former officer was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of second-degree murder last year. He had been receiving treatment for colon cancer.
His attorney, Daniel Fultz, confirmed that Grayson died Sunday but did not provide a cause of death. The Illinois Department of Corrections also confirmed his death at an out-of-state facility, but did not provide further details.
The shooting sparked widespread protests across the United States and renewed debate over police use of force.
Body camera footage showed Grayson and Massey talking over a pot of boiling water in their home before the confrontation escalated.
Grayson told investigators he believed Massey was about to pour the boiling water on him. He pulled out his gun and ordered him to drop the pot before firing three shots, one of which hit him in the face.
Massey had reportedly said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus” shortly before Grayson shot him.
He called the police after believing someone had broken into his home over the Independence Day weekend.
Grayson was fired from the police force after the shooting. He was initially charged with first-degree murder, but a jury convicted him of the lesser charge of second-degree murder.
Massey’s death drew condemnation from officials, including then-President Joe Biden, who said she “should be alive today.”
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Attorneys representing Massey’s family said Grayson’s death did not erase the loss suffered by his loved ones.
“Grayson’s death in custody from cancer does not bring Sonya back,” they said.
Grayson had been diagnosed with cancer in 2023 and had recently applied for release from prison on medical grounds, but his application was unsuccessful.
(BBC News)
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