PEORIA — A white ex-cop charged with murdering an unarmed Black woman in her Springfield area home last year testified Monday that he fired his gun in self-defense, and that his actions "matched the threat level."

Former Sangamon County Sheriff's Deputy Sean Grayson is on trial for murder for killing 36-year-old Sonya Massey in her kitchen after she had called the police on July 6, 2024, to report a suspected prowler.

This police shooting and the subsequent criminal trial have drawn national attention , due to the racial dynamics involved, and the graphic nature of police body-camera footage showing Massey's death.

Grayson's decision to make a surprise appearance on the stand as the defense's first witness represented a high-stakes legal gambit aimed at clearing his name, and drew sco

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