Overview
- Testifying in his own defense, Sean Grayson said he feared Sonya Massey would throw boiling water and did not trust a stun gun to be effective through her clothing.
- Audio from a partner’s body camera captured Grayson threatening to “shoot [her] in the face,” while his own camera was largely off, and prosecutors flagged that his report omitted that threat and a stated plan to arrest her for aggravated assault.
- Prosecution experts said Massey did not present a credible deadly threat and that Grayson escalated the situation; a defense expert argued his actions aligned with training that uses force to gain compliance.
- Both sides have rested, and closing arguments are set for Tuesday in Peoria before jurors deliberate on three first-degree murder counts that could bring decades in prison, including a firearm-discharge enhancement.
- Prosecutors have dismissed separate counts of aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct, leaving the murder charges for the jury to decide.