Illinois Sheriff Resigns After Deputy Fatally Shoots 911 Caller
Sheriff Jack Campbell (R) retired from his duties for Illinois’ Sangamon County on August 31, 2024, following pressure from Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) over a fatal shooting involving Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson, 30, who was charged with murder for killing Sonya Massey, 36.
The incident occurred on July 6, 2024, when Massey called 911 to report an intruder in her home. Grayson, who was previously discharged from the Army following a DUI conviction, responded to the call and ended up shooting Massey, claiming he feared she was about to throw a pot of boiling water on him.
But a review of footage from his body-worn camera revealed that Massey posed no immediate threat. Massey, who had begged a 911 operator to send “no combative policemen that are prejudiced,” kept several feet from Grayson and fellow responding deputies, twice telling them, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” Grayson warned she’d “better not” before threatening to shoot her and then making good on that threat.
Release of the footage sparked widespread condemnation both of Grayson and Sheriff Campbell for hiring Grayson despite his unstable past; after the Army got rid of him, Grayson had worked for six central Illinois police departments in just four years.
Pritzker joined the chorus calling for Campbell’s resignation, also criticizing the Sheriff for failing to meet with Massey’s family and mishandling the investigation into her fatal shooting. In his resignation statement, Campbell defended his decision to hire Grayson. But he added that the “current political climate” made it impossible to continue, noting death threats received by him, his family and his deputies.
Meanwhile, a circuit court ordered Grayson held without bond. But the state Fourth District Appellate Court overturned that decision on November 27, 2024. See: People v. Grayson, 2024 IL App (4th).
Additional sources: AP News, CBS News, Illinois Times
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