SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A former deputy from Illinois has been handed a 20-year prison sentence for the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey. Massey had called 911 to report a potential prowler outside her Springfield residence.

Sean Grayson, aged 31, was found guilty in October in a case highlighting police brutality, which sparked protests against systemic racism and instigated an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. Grayson, who is white, was given the maximum sentence allowable. He has been in custody since charges were brought against him for the crime.

During the sentencing, Grayson expressed remorse, stating his wish to undo the harm he caused Massey’s family. His lawyer requested a six-year sentence, emphasizing Grayson’s battle with late-stage colon cancer that has metastasized to his liver and lungs.

“I made numerous mistakes that night. There were moments when I should have acted, and I didn’t. I froze,” Grayson admitted in court. “I made terrible decisions that night. I’m truly sorry.”

The parents and two children of Massey, who advocated for the maximum sentence, shared how their lives have been irrevocably altered since her death. Her children spoke about growing up without their mother, and Massey’s mother conveyed living in constant fear. They urged the judge to deliver justice in her memory.

“Today, I’m afraid to call the police in fear that I might end up like Sonya,” her mother Donna Massey said during the hearing.

‘It rocked the country’

Grayson’s attorneys had pushed for a new trial, which Judge Ryan Cadigan dismissed at the start of the hearing.

In calling for the maximum prison term, State’s Attorney John Milhiser argued that Massey would still be alive if the police department had sent someone else to respond.

“Sonya Massey’s death rocked her family, but it rocked the community, it rocked the country,” State’s Attorney John Milhiser said. “We have to do whatever we can to ensure it never happens again.”

When the judge read the sentence, the family reacted with a loud cheer: “Yes!” The judge admonished them.

After the hearing, Massey’s relatives thanked the public for the support and listening to their stories about Massey.

“Twenty years is not enough,” her daughter Summer told reporters.

The day of the shooting

In the early morning hours of July 6, 2024, Massey — who struggled with mental health issues — summoned emergency responders because she feared there was a prowler outside her Springfield home.

According to body camera footage, Grayson and sheriff’s Deputy Dawson Farley, who was not charged, searched Massey’s yard before meeting her at her door. Massey appeared confused and repeatedly said, “Please, God.”

The deputies entered her house, Grayson noticed the pot on the stove and ordered Farley to move it. Instead, Massey went to the stove, retrieved the pot and teased Grayson for moving away from “the hot, steaming water.”

From this moment, the exchange quickly escalated.

Massey said: “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”

Grayson drew his sidearm and yelled at her to drop the pan. She set the pot down and ducked behind a counter. But she appeared to pick it up again.

That’s when Grayson opened fire on the 36-year-old single mother, shooting her in the face. He testified that he feared Massey would scald him.

Convicted of downgraded charges at trial

Grayson was charged with three counts of first-degree murder, which could have led to a life sentence, but a jury convicted him of the lesser charge. Illinois allows for a second-degree murder conviction if evidence shows the defendant honestly thought he was in danger, even if that fear was unreasonable.

Massey’s family was outraged by the jury’s decision, raising questions of racial injustice.

“The justice system did exactly what it’s designed to do today. It’s not meant for us,” her cousin Sontae Massey said after the verdict.

After the shooting

Massey’s killing raised new questions about U.S. law enforcement shootings of Black people in their homes. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump negotiated a $10 million settlement with Sangamon County for Massey’s relatives.

The case also generated a U.S. Justice Department inquiry that was settled when the county agreed to implement more de-escalation training; collect more use-of-force data; and forced the sheriff who hired Grayson to retire. The case also prompted a change in Illinois law requiring fuller transparency on the backgrounds of candidates for law enforcement jobs.

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Associated Press reporter Sophia Tareen contributed from Chicago.