Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell, who hired former deputy Sean Grayson, expressed his horror over the incident where Grayson fatally shot Sonya Massey. Despite calls from Massey’s family for his resignation, Campbell defended his department’s vetting process of hiring in an interview with a news channel on Thursday.
In May 2023, Campbell hired Grayson, who now faces charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct in Massey’s death. Grayson has pleaded not guilty and is held without bond.
GRAPHIC VIDEO | Officials release video of officer fatally shooting 26-year-old Sonya Massey in her home after she called 911
Sonya Massey was shot in the face by Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson. Grayson, who pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and other… pic.twitter.com/c5xkBzwJOm
— Bobby Ellison (@BobbyEllisonKY) July 23, 2024
Campbell emphasised that Grayson acted independently, outside the department’s protocols. “The rest of this country and my agency do things right. He was trained and should have known better. It horrifies me for the rest of this country,” Campbell stated. He regretted that Grayson wore the Sangamon County uniform during the incident, acknowledging the broader impact on law enforcement’s reputation.
Campbell stood by the department’s hiring process, stating that Grayson’s actions were unpredictable. “The vetting process has worked well for a long time. He acted outside his authority and our policies,” Campbell said.
Grayson was dismissed after fatally shooting Massey at her Springfield, Illinois home on July 6, in response to her 911 call for assistance. Campbell admitted to community members during a Springfield event on Monday that law enforcement failed Massey that night.
“Sonya Massey – I speak her name and will never forget it. She called for help and we failed,” Campbell said.
A news channel obtained audio files of four 911 calls made by Massey and her mother regarding mental health crises before Massey’s death. On July 5, Donna Massey informed the dispatcher that her daughter was having a mental breakdown, stressing that she was not a danger but was paranoid. She requested non-combative officers.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing Massey’s family, highlighted the mother’s fears in a statement. Crump noted that despite these warnings, Massey, struggling with her mental health, faced deadly force.
Personnel files reveal a third-party complaint against Grayson in May 2024, alleging inappropriate conduct with a 17-year-old girl during a search for a stabbing suspect. Grayson allegedly threatened to detain the girl without verifying her relationship to the house. A review deemed his actions warranted, but ABC News has not seen the footage. No formal investigation followed.
Grayson had six police jobs in four years. Before hiring Sangamon County, he worked at Logan County Sheriff’s Office for under a year. Audio files show concerns from Logan County Chief Deputy Nathan Miller about Grayson violating policies and submitting inaccurate reports.
Miller discussed these issues with Grayson, who resigned before any formal policy violations were recorded. Campbell stated Sangamon County was unaware of these incidents during Grayson’s hiring, viewing his varied employment history as typical in law enforcement.
Campbell believed Grayson’s career path showed no red flags, stating, “He had no reported problems with those agencies. There were no use of force complaints.”
Campbell has not spoken directly with Massey’s family but disagrees with their call for his resignation, believing it would not help.
Grayson served as a Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic in the Regular Army for under two years before being discharged for misconduct in February 2016. He had two DUI offenses in 2015 and 2016, pleading guilty and paying fines.
The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor dropped its grievance to reinstate Grayson, as announced on Tuesday.
