Former Illinois deputy gets 20 years for Sonya Massey's murder

• The state's attorney sought a first-degree murder charge.

The big picture: Grayson's conviction last October was a rare case of a police officer facing trial for excessive force, Axios' Russell Contreras reported.

Flashback: Massey, who was Black, called 911 from her Springfield, Illinois, home in 2024 after she suspected a prowler outside her house.

• Body camera footage shows Grayson, who is white, shooting Massey three times after she stands near the kitchen sink with a pot of hot water she removed from the stove.
• The footage shows Grayson demanding that she drop the water. She apologizes and ducks before Grayson shoots her three times, including once in the head.
• Grayson then discouraged the other deputy from using a medical kit to save her.

State of play: Massey's killing immediately set off protests in Illinois' capital city, and gained national attention, eventually sparking a U.S. Department of Justice investigation.

• The DOJ and Sangamon County officials came to an agreement, which includes training behavioral health staff, who are not law enforcement officers, to respond to individuals in need of behavioral health assistance.

• The Sheriff's office will review and update, where needed, policies, rules, and procedures on the use of force and de-escalation.
• State lawmakers also passed the Sonya Massey Law, which requires agencies to comprehensively review an applicant's employment history —including detailed employment records — before making a job offer.

Go deeper: Ex-deputy convicted in 2024 shooting death of Sonya Massey