A former Illinois sheriff's deputy was convicted of second-degree murder in the death last year of a homeowner who reported a suspected intruder.
Mother of two Sonya Massey, 36, was fatally shot July 6, 2024, at her home near Springfield, Illinois, after calling 911 about a possible burglar.
Former officer Sean Grayson, 31, said he opened fire because he thought Massey was going to throw a pot of boiling water on him.
He was charged with first-degree murder, but the jury was allowed to find him guilty of the lesser charge of second-degree murder. Grayson faces up to 20 years in prison.
The killing reignited debate about police brutality in the US, with then-President Joe Biden saying Massie “should be alive today.” Massey was black and Grayson was white.
In his closing argument to the jury, prosecutor John Milhiser said Grayson lost control and “snapped.”
“These were not the actions of a scared young police officer doing a dangerous job,” Milhiser said. “These are the actions of a bully.”
The incident happened in the early morning of Independence Day weekend when Massie called police at her home in Springfield, 200 miles (320 kilometers) south of Chicago, to report that she believed someone had broken into her property.
Police body camera footage of the incident shows the chaotic moments leading up to the shooting.
Officers arrived at the home and followed Massey inside as she looked for her identification.
In the video, Grayson sees a pot sitting on a lit stove, points at it and says, “We don't need a fire while we're here.”
Massey, who has been treated for mental illness, goes to the stove to remove the pan. She and Grayson appear to laugh at her pot of “boiling hot water” before she twice says, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”
“You're better off [expletive] no, or I swear to God I will [expletive] shoot you in your [expletive] face,” Grayson says. He then pulls out a gun and yells at her to drop the pot.
“Okay, sorry,” Massey can be heard saying before ducking down.
He fired three shots, hitting her in the face.
After this, Grayson says, “What else should we do? I don't take hot food.” [expletive] boiling water in [expletive] face.”
As another officer goes to get a first aid kit, Grayson says, “She’s done. You can go after her, but it’s a head shot.”
Grayson, who was subsequently fired, took the stand in his own defense during the trial.
He told the court the bottom of the pot was red and he believed Massey's words were a threat and she planned to pour water into it.
But the jury deliberated for about 11 hours before returning a guilty verdict Wednesday.
Personal injury lawyer Ben Crump, who represented Massey's family, said the sentence was a “measure of justice,” although he hoped Grayson would be found guilty of first-degree murder.
“Accountability has begun, and we now hope that the court will reach a meaningful sentence that reflects the gravity of these crimes and the lives lost,” Crump said in a statement.
Grayson will be sentenced on January 29.
Sangamon County, where the shooting took place, awarded the Massey family $10 million (£7.6 million) in damages in February.
