Deputy who shot Sonya Massey thought her rebuke 'in the name of Jesus' indicated intent to kill him

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The deputy sheriff who fatally shot Sonya Massey in her Illinois home last month said he believed that when the Black woman who called 911 for help unexpectedly said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” that she intended deadly harm, according to the deputy's field report released Monday.

“I interpreted this to mean she was going to kill me,” Grayson wrote, adding that when he drew his pistol and Massey ducked behind a counter that separated them, he moved around the obstacle fearing that she was going to grab a weapon.

Grayson, a 30-year-old Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy, faces first-degree murder, aggravated battery and official misconduct charges in the death of the 36-year-old Springfield woman on July 6 which has drawn nationwide protests over the killing of Black people by police in their homes. Grayson has pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Daniel Fultz, declined to comment Monday.

Massey's family has called for the resignation of Sheriff Jack Campbell — who has refused to step down — arguing that problems in Grayson's past should have precluded a law enforcement assignment. The family has hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who did not immediately respond to requests for comment by phone, email or text.

Grayson and a second unidentified deputy answered her call about a suspected prowler just before 1 a.m. Inside her home, Grayson directed that a pan of water be removed from a burner on the stove...