Now we know why Sonya Massey shooter Sean Grayson responded so aggressively when Massey said: “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”
Newly released documents reveal why Massey was suddenly perceived as a threat to Grayson.
Massey called 911 the night of July 6th to report a potential prowler, her family stated. However, when Grayson and his partner arrived at the Springfield home, the atmosphere became tense over a pot of boiling water. Massey went into her kitchen to grab the pot and brought it over to the sink, per body camera footage. The officers, who were standing in the living room, stepped back, and Massey asked, “What are you doing?”
One officer responded that he was stepping away from her “hot steaming water.”
In response, Massey said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” twice to the officers. Almost immediately, Grayson threatened to shoot her “in her face” and drew his firearm. Massey ducked below the sink with the pot in hand. At some point, the water from the pot splashed across the floor and Grayson shot at her three times, striking her fatally shot in the face.
In Grayson’s field report released by authorities Monday, he claimed that he felt threatened by Massey’s last words.
Read more from The Associated Press:
“Sonya turned to face me holding the pot. I did not know the type of liquid that was boiling,” Grayson wrote in his report three days after the incident. “I advised Sonya to put the boiling liquid down. Sonya stated (she) was going to rebuke me in the name of Jesus. She stated this twice. I interpreted this to mean she was going to kill me.”
Upon hearing the religious admonition, Grayson then drew his pistol and barked commands to “drop the (expletive) pot.” Massey ducked behind the counter, rose up and appeared to grab the pan again before diving for cover. Grayson said he stepped toward and around the counter to keep Massey in sight, wary that she might have a hidden weapon.
“As I approached the cabinet, Sonya stood up from a crouched position, grabbing the pot, raising it above her head and throwing the boiling substance at me,” Grayson reported. “I was in imminent fear of getting boiling liquid to my face or chest, which would have caused great bodily harm or death.”
Massey’s father, James Wilburn, previously told CBS Mornings he believed Massey rebuked Grayson in fear for her life or as a result of a premonition. He called Grayson an “emissary” of Satan.
The field report was completed three days after Grayson was placed on administrative leave following the shooting. He’s since been fired and charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery and official misconduct.