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The Illinois deputy who fatally shot Sonya Massey in the face after she called to report a suspected burglar has been called a “ticking time bomb” by her family’s attorney.
Former Sangamon County Deputy Sean Grayson is charged with first-degree murder for the fatal shooting of 36-year-old Massey last month at her home in Springfield.
Massey, a black woman who was going through a mental health crisis at the time, had called 911 to ask police to search for a man she believed to be a burglar. Grayson and Massey argued Due to an apparent misunderstanding over a pot of hot water she had on the stove, Grayson opened fire, killing Massey with a bullet to the face. He later wrote in an incident report that he shot Massey because he feared for his life.
Grayson, who is white, has pleaded not guilty.
The 30-year-old Grayson had worked for six different law enforcement agencies in a four-year period before being hired by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office. Grayson had previously been caught with an unregistered weapon in his car and arrested twice for drunk driving, which earned him an involuntary discharge from US Army.
When those details became public, Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell was heavily criticized for hiring Grayson. Campbell argued, however, that Grayson had not been fired from any of his other positions and had been highly recommended by previous superiors. Amid public criticism, Campbell said just last month that he would stay in office. On Friday, he said announced his resignation End of August.
At a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Massey family attorney Antonio Romanucci said the state’s existing laws must now be changed to ensure that people like Grayson are classified as at-risk and therefore do not get a job with the police.
“Considering that Sean Grayson had two convictions for driving under the influence, he would not have been allowed to visit Canada if he wanted to visit the beautiful cities of Toronto or Montreal,” Romanucci told reporters. “He couldn’t cross the border, but he was allowed to work as a deputy sheriff in Sangamon County. Think about that.”
Side by side with members of the Massey family and co-counsel Ben CrumpRomanucci also pushed for a 45-day waiting period for police officers changing jobs. This “quiet period” would ensure that comprehensive background checks can be conducted before an officer’s hire date to ensure bad cops are kept out of the ranks, Romanucci said.
Both measures would serve to “stop the ticking” in the case of an applicant like Grayson, Romanucci said.
Crump, who represented the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylorand others killed in clashes with police, began his comments by noting that today was the 116th anniversary of a deadly race riot in Springfield – an event newly declared a national monument, According to the White House.
Crump said the Masseys continue to mourn their loss, but are hopeful Sonya’s death could spark positive change. When Campbell, a Republican who was first elected to office in 2018, announced his resignation, he said he was “committed to changing our standards and working with other government entities to prevent incidents like this in the future.”
“It has become clear that the current political climate has made it nearly impossible for me to continue to perform my role effectively,” Campbell said in his farewell message. “Some people would rather see our community divided and in turmoil than allow me to continue to serve as sheriff. The health of myself and my family, the sheriff’s office and our community must be my priority.”
On Wednesday, Crump said Campbell said the right things when he said he would continue to help heal the community and seek justice for the Massey family, who “wanted to take his word for it.” Crump thanked the Illinois governor. JB Pritzker for “his leadership in this matter,” adding that the governor “was very sensitive when he met with the family.”
In addition to murder, Grayson is also accused of assault with a firearm and abuse of office. If convicted, he faces a life sentence.
