Ex-cop charged with murdering Sonya Massey testifies his actions 'matched the threat level'

Former Cop Claims Self-Defense in Shooting Death of Black Woman

A dramatic twist emerged in the trial of former Sangamon County Sheriff's Deputy Sean Grayson, who is accused of murdering 36-year-old Sonya Massey in her Springfield-area home last year. During his testimony on Monday, Grayson claimed that he fired his gun in self-defense, stating that his actions "matched the threat level" and were necessary to prevent a potential attack.

According to Grayson's account, Massey called police to report a suspected prowler, but when he arrived at her home, she allegedly began making threatening comments towards him. He claimed that Massey's comments, including telling him to "rebuke him in the name of Jesus," caught him off guard and made him feel like he was in imminent danger.

Grayson testified that he ordered Massey to remove a pot from her stove top, which she had placed there as a potential defense mechanism. However, body-worn camera footage introduced by prosecutors showed that Massey had already removed the pot before Grayson spoke those words. The footage also captures Grayson pointing his gun at Massey and telling her he would "shoot her in her f- - -ing face" if she didn't comply.

Several police use-of-force experts testified during the trial, including University of South Carolina law professor Seth Stoughton, who argued that Grayson's actions were "tactically unsound" and violated accepted de-escalation tactics. Stoughton analyzed bodycam footage from Grayson's fellow responding officer and suggested that Grayson should not have approached the counter where Massey was ducking behind.

The defense's surprise move to call Grayson as their first witness has drawn criticism from many, including Donna Massey, Sonya's mother, who expressed her skepticism during the testimony. The case has garnered national attention due to its racial dynamics and graphic nature, with some activists and civil rights attorneys calling for justice for the Massey family.

Grayson faces three counts of first-degree murder and could face up to life in prison if convicted. The trial is ongoing, with closing arguments expected later this week.

This whole thing is so messed up! I mean, come on, a woman calls the cops because she thinks someone's snooping around her house and then this cop shows up and starts pointing guns at her? Like, what even is that? And to make matters worse, he's claiming self-defense? Give me a break. The fact that his fellow officer had better footage of the situation that showed Grayson was totally out of line just makes it even more obvious that he's lying.

And can we talk about how ridiculous it is that this cop gets to decide what "threat level" means in the context of this situation? Like, no, Sonya didn't say anything threatening (despite what she actually said, btw). And him ordering her to remove a pot from the stove and then getting all aggressive when she does is just crazy talk. This whole thing reeks of cops thinking they're above the law.

It's gonna be super hard for Grayson to convince anyone that he was in genuine danger here, especially with all these experts saying his tactics were straight-up flawed. I'm just hoping justice gets served and the Massey family gets some closure

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole situation... it sounds like Grayson's account might be a bit shaky, you know? I mean, the bodycam footage doesn't exactly match up with what he's saying, and the experts are really questioning his tactics. But at the same time, I can imagine how scary it must've been for Massey if she was making those comments towards him... it's like, you gotta try to de-escalate situations in law enforcement, right?

I'm just worried about how this is gonna play out, and whether justice will be served. The family of Sonya Massey deserves answers, and it feels like there's still so much uncertainty here... I hope they can get a clearer picture of what happened by the end of the trial. Fingers crossed for a positive outcome

I'm telling you, this whole situation just reeks of systemic racism . Grayson's claim of self-defense just doesn't add up, especially with the video footage showing him pointing his gun at Massey and threatening her life. It's like something out of a police brutality horror show.

And let's not forget, Massey was an unarmed Black woman calling for help, while Grayson was armed and responding to what he thought was a threat . The fact that Grayson gets to testify in his own defense is just laughable - it's like the system is stacked against him... and against justice.

The real question here is: what kind of training does a cop get when they're taught how to handle situations like this? Are they really being taught de-escalation tactics, or are they more likely to be trained to shoot first and ask questions later? We need to take a hard look at our law enforcement agencies and make sure we're holding them accountable for their actions. This case is a wake-up call that we can't afford to ignore .

This whole thing is messed up, you feel? A man claims self-defense but his own footage shows him threatening the woman he's supposed to be protecting her from...it's like something out of a movie . The fact that he even suggested shooting her in her face if she didn't comply is just wild . And don't even get me started on the whole 'rebuke him in the name of Jesus' thing - that's just plain insensitive . It's crazy how one man can make a whole nation talk about systemic issues .

idk why they still gonna say it was self defense ... like, she called 911 for a suspected prowler but ended up getting shot by the cop who came over ... seems to me he's trying to deflect from whatever happened that night ... and what's with all these "tactically unsound" experts saying Grayson shoulda done things differently? it just feels like they're not buying into his story at all

OMG you guys I am literally shaking thinking about this so like a former cop claims he was in self defense but there's this whole other video that shows him being super aggressive and threatening the victim what even is that?! I'm trying to process how someone can just claim they were in danger when they're the one who's pointing their gun at someone's head it just doesn't add up. And then we have these experts saying his actions were totally unsound and like you know he broke all the rules of de-escalation. It's wild to me that he even thought he could get away with this. The worst part is that there are people who actually believe him it just feels like the whole system is messed up right now.

omg, this whole thing feels so wrong I dont think his 'self defense' story checks out at all... like, yeah sure he says Massey was making threats but what about the fact she'd already taken down the pot that was supposedly her defense mechanism? and then there's him literally threatening to shoot her right to her face?! that's not self defense, that's just plain old aggression. i'm so sick of this whole racial dynamics thing too - it feels like a big ol mess

I'm telling you, there's more to this story than meets the eye . Grayson's testimony about Massey making threatening comments just don't add up. I mean, come on, she tells him to "rebuke her in the name of Jesus" and he freaks out? That sounds like a setup to me . And what really gets my attention is that body-worn camera footage shows Grayson pointing his gun at Massey and telling her he'd shoot her if she didn't comply... that's not self-defense, that's just plain ol' hostile intent . I'm thinking someone's hiding something here, and I'm gonna keep digging to get to the truth . The whole thing just feels too convenient, you know?

This whole thing is so messed up ... I mean, Grayson's got some major credibility issues right now. Like, how can we trust him when he's already admitting to saying some pretty aggressive stuff to Massey? And don't even get me started on the fact that bodycam footage clearly shows her removing the pot before he gives that order ... it just doesn't add up.

I also don't buy the whole "self-defense" thing, you know? I mean, Massey's already called 911 and is reporting a suspicious person – does she really need to be shot in her own home? It just seems like a case of police overreach or something... and we all know how that can go down.

And what really gets me is the reaction from Grayson's defense team. They're trying to spin this whole thing as some kind of "mistaken identity" situation, but I don't think anyone's buying it ... at least not me. Anyway, still waiting for closing arguments and a verdict on this one

This whole thing is just messed up . Grayson's "self-defense" claim? No way, man... he went in there guns blazing for no reason. I don't care what Massey said or did, that's not a valid excuse to pull the trigger. And can we talk about how ridiculous it is that he thought telling her to remove a pot was gonna diffuse the situation? Newsflash, Sean: you're the one who's supposed to be de-escalating, not escalating. This whole thing reeks of police brutality and systemic racism. The fact that Grayson thinks his actions were "tactically sound" is just laughable . I'm so tired of these cases where cops think they can just do whatever they want and get away with it .

man this whole thing is wild like grayson's account just doesn't add up at all he says she was threatening him but the body cam footage shows her already removing the pot and then he's yelling at her to get off the counter meanwhile in another room, his buddy is on camera saying he's worried about his life lol like what even is this and those police use of force experts are totally right grayson messed up big time

I gotta say, I'm not buying all the self-defense nonsense here . Grayson's testimony just doesn't add up. If Massey was making threatening comments, yeah she was probably aggro, but that don't give him a free pass to pull out his gun and start yelling at her . The fact that the pot was already off the stove is a major red flag, imo. It's like he was waiting for an excuse to escalate things.

And let's be real, Grayson's behavior towards Massey sounds super aggressive . "Shoot her in her f- - -ing face"? That's not self-defense, that's just plain ol' hostility. I'm all for police officers being able to handle high-pressure situations, but they need to be able to do it without resorting to violence.

It's also super suspicious that Grayson is the first witness called by his own defense team . It feels like a desperate attempt to sway public opinion or something. Anyway, I'm gonna keep following this trial with bated breath

I don't usually comment but... I think this whole thing is super messed up . Like, who makes comments like "rebuke him in the name of Jesus" and expects someone to be all chill about it? It's just not cool. And yeah, Grayson's actions seem super reckless - I mean, pointing a gun at someone and telling them you're gonna shoot them if they don't do what you say? That's not self-defense, that's just plain crazy .

And I'm with Seth Stoughton on this one - those use-of-force experts are totally right. Grayson should've known better than to approach the situation like he did. It's all about de-escalation and trying to resolve things peacefully, you know?

I don't know what's gonna happen in this trial, but I hope justice is served for Sonya Massey's family . They deserve closure and some kind of resolution to this tragic situation .

that guy Grayson's story doesn't add up he was already like "shoot her" from the start so how can he claim self defense? it's all about power and control, not stopping a threat what if his wife or friend started acting weird around him? would he be justified? it's also messed up that he called Massey out by name in front of her, talk about escalating the situation

man this is wild ... Grayson's account seems super suspicious considering the bodycam footage shows him being all aggressive and threatening towards Massey after she'd already removed the pot. it's like he knew she wasn't a threat but just wanted an excuse to shoot her anyway . I'm not buying it. the police use-of-force experts who testified said Grayson was being super reckless and didn't follow proper de-escalation tactics, that's gotta count for something right?

This whole thing is so messed up . Grayson's defense just seems like a bunch of BS . He claims he was self-defense, but we all know that can't be true . I mean, who tells someone to take off a pot from the stove because they're 'defending' themselves? Sounds like just an excuse for losing control .

And what's with this Jesus thing? Like, really? Grayson thinks Massey's comments about Jesus are some kind of threat? Come on . It's all so... predictable. The fact that the body cam footage shows Grayson was already pointing his gun at her and threatening to kill her is just gross .

I don't think we can even trust a word this guy says anymore . His testimony has drawn some serious criticism, and I'm pretty sure he's not telling the whole truth . The way this case is going down, it feels like justice for Sonya Massey is going to be hard to come by .

I don't think Grayson's self-defense story checks out at all . I mean, who calls the cops because they're suspicious of someone in their home, and then proceeds to make threatening comments towards them? Sounds like a setup to me . And honestly, it sounds like Massey was just trying to protect herself from this guy . The defense's surprise move to call Grayson as their first witness is pretty shady . They're basically putting the focus on his story and not questioning him about what really happened . I hope the jury is watching all this carefully and isn't swayed by Grayson's spin .

Ugh, can't believe what I'm reading about this case . Like, self-defense doesn't seem like it's going to cut it here... Grayson's just trying to spin a narrative that makes him look like the victim and Massey looks like the aggressor? Give me a break . The fact that he was threatening her in the first place and then points his gun at her is just wrong, you know? And now they're saying it's about de-escalation tactics... I don't buy it . It feels like Grayson is trying to justify his own wrongdoing and make everyone else feel guilty for not doing more . Can we just get justice for Massey and her family already?