Sheriff's deputy who killed Sonya Massey to be released soon with conditions

A former sheriff's deputy who gunned down Sonya Massey in her kitchen after she called 911 about a possible prowler outside her home will be released soon with conditions, an Illinois court ruled late Wednesday.

The state court ruling reverses the detention order over former Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy Sean P. Grayson who has been in custody since he was charged in the July 6 fatal shooting of the 36-year-old Black woman.

A circuit court judge will set a date with attorneys to consider conditions for Grayson's release before he goes to trial for Massey's murder. The conditions may include home confinement or some sort of monitoring system. He is due back in court Monday for a hearing.

Circuit Court Presiding Judge Ryan Cadagin had twice ordered Grayson detained for his callousness during and after the shooting of Massey, citing his failure to help her after the shooting.

Bodycamera footage of the shooting shows the former deputy firing on the diminunitive woman even as she raises her arms in the air and says "I'm sorry" while ducking for cover. When Grayson's partner suggests getting a medical kit, he responds, "She’s done. You can go get it, but that’s a headshot."

Grayson's attorney, Daniel Fultz, has argued that Grayson wasn't a flight risk and that he was dealing with complications from a diagnosis of Stage 3 colon cancer. He is being held in the Macon County Jail in Decatur, Illinois.

A reckoning over racism, misogyny

The release of the video footage of the killing sent shock waves through the nation. Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump and racial justice advocate Rev. Al Sharpton quickly called for justice for Massey. Coast-to-coast demonstrations took place and the U.S. Department of Justice launched an investigation.

Grayson was fired the same day he was charged with three counts of first-degree murder and two other counts but the fallout didn't stop there.

Public records revealed Grayson had a history of violence towards women and despite that was never barred from working in law enforcement. Records show a former inmate complained that Grayson ordered her to expose herself to him and that his former wife divorced him over "repeated acts of mental cruelty."

Grayson's criminal history also shows he had two DUIs and a questionable discharge from the military.

Former Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell eventually stepped down over the intense scrutiny he faced for hiring Grayson despite his background. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker was among those calling for Campbell's resignation.

The killing of Massey, who suffered from mental illness, prompted the Justice Department to launch an investigation into the sheriff's office's treatment of people with disabilities earlier in November.

Federal officials cited "serious concerns about (the sheriff department's) interactions with Black people and people with behavioral health disabilities," along with a host of practices and procedures.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sonya Massey shooter to be released soon with conditions