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Former Illinois sheriff\u2019s deputy Sean Grayson<\/strong> has been found guilty of the 2024 murder of Sonya Massey<\/strong>, a Black woman who had called 911 about a possible prowler at her home.<\/p>\n Following the closing arguments on Tuesday, October 28, jurors deliberated for almost 12 hours before the verdict was revealed on Wednesday, October 29, according to NBC News<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n Grayson was charged with first-degree murder, per the outlet. However, the jury instructions included the option to have him convicted of the lesser charge of second-degree murder.<\/p>\n Attorneys Ben Crump<\/strong> and Antonio Romanucci<\/strong>, who represented Massey\u2019s family in a $10 million civil settlement regarding the case, argued that Grayson deserves a first-degree murder conviction. However, they said the verdict was \u201cstill a measure of justice for Sonya Massey.\u201d<\/p>\n Elaine Hendrix Updates Fans on \u2018DWTS\u2019 Recovery and Upcoming Performance<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m fueled by rage right now,\u201d Massey\u2019s cousin, Sontae Massey<\/strong>, said of the ruling outside of the courthouse, per NBC News<\/em>. \u201cIf you get an officer who says he\u2019s going to shoot you in the face, and then he shoots you in the face, and you only get second-degree murder?\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, former federal prosecutor Mark Chutkow<\/strong> told NBC News<\/em> that the defense made a \u201cstrategic decision\u201d to include the second-degree murder charge.<\/p>\n \u201cThe prosecution likely felt confident about their case and was willing to go for an all-or-nothing verdict. But the defense did not want to take that chance, so they advocated for a lesser included charge,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Grayson is now facing four to 20 years in prison. He will most likely be eligible to get day-for-day credit for good behavior in prison, which means he could end up only serving half of his sentence.<\/p>\n Elaine Hendrix Updates Fans on \u2018DWTS\u2019 Recovery and Upcoming Performance<\/a><\/p>\n The former officer was charged in July 2024 in the fatal shooting of Massey, which took place when he reported to her home<\/a> after she called about a suspected prowler.<\/p>\n As the officers approached Massey, she walked towards a pot of water on the stove and said, \u201cI rebuke you in the name of Jesus.\u201d The officers pulled out their weapons and instructed her to drop the pot, which led to Grayson to fire his gun three times and fatally hitting Massey with a bullet.<\/p>\n While testifying on Monday, October 27, Grayson said he shot Massey because he believed she was going to throw the pot of water at him. \u201cIt raises a lot of concern for me, and I believe she\u2019s going to throw the water,\u201d he said, per CBS News<\/a><\/em>. \u201cWe were trained to use force that\u2019s going to gain compliance.\u201d<\/p>\n Following his arrest, many concerns were raised about Grayson\u2019s past work history. Among the concerns, it was revealed that he was ejected from the Army in his 20s when he was arrested for drunken-driving in which he had a weapon in his vehicle. He was later convicted of a second DUI within a year of the first arrest.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n