The former sheriff’s deputy who fatally shot Sonya Massey in her Illinois home while responding to her call for help has held six different police jobs since 2020, the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board confirmed to ABC News.
Body camera footage released Monday shows former deputy Sean Grayson yelling at Massey, an unarmed 36-year-old Black woman and mother of two, to put down a pot of boiling hot water.
The footage, reviewed by ABC News, shows that Massey told the deputy, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” and then she apologized after the officer threatened to shoot her. She poured the water into the sink and ducked down behind a counter, covering her face with what appears to be a red oven mitt. She briefly rose, and Grayson shot her three times in the face.
A review by Illinois State Police found that Grayson was not justified in his use of deadly force.
Grayson, who is white, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct in Massey’s death.
The Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) records show that Grayson, 30, worked three full-time and three part-time jobs in four police departments and two sheriff’s offices over the past four years, all within the state of Illinois.
Sean Grayson was charged with first degree murder after fatally shooting Sonya Massey while responding to her call for help.
Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office
Grayson was employed at three different police departments in 2021 alone, the records show. His shortest term of employment was with the Kincaid Police Department, where he was employed for just over three months. Records list his reason for leaving as “other.”
His longest term of employment was with the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, where he worked for a year and two months. Grayson was fired from Sangamon County last week, following Massey’s death.
Grayson worked part time at the Pawnee Police Department from August 2020 to July 2021; his reason for leaving is listed as “other.” He also worked part time at the Kincaid Police Department from February to May of 2021.
The Kincaid Police Department told ABC News that Grayson was “let go by the Village of Kincaid board when he refused to live within the 10-mile radius of the village.” They also said they have no complaints against Grayson and no disciplinary actions were taken against him while he worked with the Kincaid police.
The Virden Police Department hired him part time from May to December 2021, and he also worked full time at the Auburn Police Department from July 2021 to May 2022. Both departments list his reason for leaving as “resigned.”
Grayson then worked at the Logan County Sheriff’s Office full time from May 2022 until he resigned in April 2023. He was hired at the Sangamon Sheriff’s Office in May 2023 where he remained until he was fired last week.
ABC News is seeking further details on Grayson’s employment history.
“It is clear that the deputy did not act as trained or in accordance with our standards. Therefore, Sean Grayson’s employment with the Sheriff’s Office has been terminated,” Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell wrote in a statement last week announcing Grayson’s termination.
Sonya Massey died at 36 years old.
Courtesy Ben Crump
Massey’s father, James Wilburn, questioned Grayson’s employment history.
“The biggest question is: How did this man ever get hired in law enforcement?” Wilburn told ABC News. “When a Black man has just a little blemish in his credit, he can’t get hired in the police department. But here’s a man who, in four years, he’s been in six different departments.”
Wilburn has also criticized Sheriff Campbell for his role in Grayson’s employment and called for Campbell to resign at a press conference on Tuesday.
“The sheriff here is an embarrassment,” Wilburn said. “[Grayson] should have never had a badge. And he should have never had a gun. He should have never been given the opportunity to kill my child.”
Campbell told ABC News he will not be resigning.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Massey’s family, says that Grayson must be held accountable for his actions.
“Sonya Massey needed a helping hand. She did not need a bullet to the face. We cannot continue to shoot first and ask questions later when it’s Black people,” Crump said to ABC News.
ABC News’ Davi Merchan and Emily Chang Contributed to this report.
A former sheriff’s deputy with a history of multiple police jobs has found himself at the center of controversy once again after being involved in the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey. The incident has raised questions about the hiring practices of law enforcement agencies and the accountability of officers with a troubled past.
The former deputy, whose name has not been released to the public, had a history of multiple police jobs before joining the sheriff’s department. According to reports, he had been fired from several previous positions for misconduct, including excessive use of force and dishonesty. Despite this troubling track record, he was able to find employment with the sheriff’s department, where he was involved in the shooting of Sonya Massey.
Massey, a 32-year-old mother of two, was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop. The former deputy claimed that Massey had reached for a weapon, prompting him to open fire. However, witnesses at the scene have disputed this account, stating that Massey was unarmed and posed no threat to the officer.
The shooting has sparked outrage in the community, with many calling for a thorough investigation into the former deputy’s actions and the circumstances surrounding Massey’s death. Critics have pointed to the officer’s troubled past as evidence of a systemic issue within law enforcement agencies, where officers with a history of misconduct are able to continue working in positions of authority.
In response to the incident, the sheriff’s department has launched an internal investigation into the former deputy’s conduct and has placed him on administrative leave pending the outcome of the inquiry. The department has also vowed to review its hiring practices to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
The shooting of Sonya Massey serves as a tragic reminder of the importance of holding law enforcement officers accountable for their actions. It highlights the need for greater transparency and oversight within police departments to ensure that officers with a history of misconduct are not allowed to continue working in positions of authority. As the investigation into this incident continues, it is crucial that justice is served for Massey and her family, and that steps are taken to prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future.
