Police union will not fight the firing of sheriff's deputy who fatally shot Sonya Massey

An Illinois police union that planned to fight the firing of the sheriff’s department deputy who gunned down Sonya Massey in her kitchen decided Tuesday not to pursue the officer’s reinstatement.

The union's move is a complete about-face as outrage over the 36-year-old woman's death continues to spread throughout the nation.

“The Union has determined that it will NOT be proceeding any further,” said Shawn Roselieb of the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council, adding that the organization had filed a grievance over former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson's firing merely as standard procedure.

“Our obligations under the collective bargaining agreement and to our members do not take away from the sympathy we feel for the family and loved ones of Sonya Massey,” Roselieb said in a statement shared with USA TODAY. “Our thoughts and prayers are with them and with all those impacted by this tragedy.”

The decision to abandon the former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department deputy comes as footage of the killing has sparked nationwide outrage over Massey’s death, renewed calls for police reform and stirred memories of the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd .

Grayson did not turn on his body-worn camera until after he shot Massey, but another officer's body camera captured the incident . The footage shows the 30-year-old deputy shooting Massey in the face in her kitchen after she called 911 for help with a possible intruder on July 6.

The union’s decision comes the day after a listening session organized by the Justice Department for the grieving community grew heated as the sheriff who hired Grayson called for forgiveness but declined to resign.

It also comes hours ahead of a rally in Chicago that Massey's family is expected to attend as well as civil rights icons Rev. Al Sharpton and attorney Ben Crump.

The stop in Chicago is the latest for the pair who were recently in Wisconsin advocating for justice for D'Vontaye Mitchell , a 43-year-old Black man killed by security guards on June 30 outside a downtown Milwaukee hotel.

Grayson, the officer who killed Massey, was fired from his post after he was indicted on multiple charges including murder. He has pleaded not guilty and remains in jail without bond. An attorney representing Grayson did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's requests for comment about Grayson's DUIs and alleged misconduct.

More: 'Outrageously escalatory' behavior of cops left Chicago motorist dead, family says in lawsuit

DUIs and integrity concerns: What we know about the deputy who killed Sonya Massey

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Police union will not fight the firing of sheriff's deputy who fatally shot Sonya Massey