Records show deputy charged in Sonya Massey’s fatal shooting worked for 6 agencies in 4 years

The sheriff’s deputy charged with fatally shooting a black woman in the head inside her Illinois home was employed by six different police agencies in just four years.

Sean Grayson’s checkered career included part-time stints at three police departments, a full-time gig at a fourth police department, and then two full-time jobs at sheriff’s offices – all between 2020 and 2024.

Grayson, 30, was fired last week by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office after pleading not guilty to a murder and other charges stemming from the July 6 shooting death of Sonya Massey.

Massey, 36, had called 911 to report a suspected prowler, according to authorities.

Grayson and another deputy reported to her home in Springfield, about 200 miles southwest of Chicago.

Body camera video released earlier this week showed the horrifying moment when Grayson shouted at Massey to put down a pot of hot water and threatened the unarmed woman.

When Massey ducked and then briefly looked up, Grayson opened fire.

Massey was struck three times, including a fatal shot to her head.

Bodycam video reveals chaotic scene of deputy fatally shooting Sonya Massey, who called 911 for help

Massey’s oldest child, 17-year-old Malachi Hill Massey, said he tried to watch the footage but could not make it to the end.

“I don’t have no words for this,” he lamented.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Massey’s family, said Tuesday that the Justice Department was investigating the shooting, “which is welcome, because there have been some concerns and revelations by the family that we think need to be investigated.”

Crump clarified that he did not know the scope of the investigation.

Officials are “aware of and assessing the circumstances surrounding the tragic officer-involved death” and “will continue to track the criminal case,” the Justice Department noted in its own statement.

Massey’s father, James Wilburn, has called on Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell to step down.

“I want to tell y’all the sheriff here is an embarrassment,” Wilburn said. “This man (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.”

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Grayson was hired part-time on Aug. 11, 2020, by the Pawnee Police Department, according to the  Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board.

On Feb. 4, 2021, he was hired for another part-time position with the Kincaid Police Department, following by a third part-time gig at the Virden Police Department on May 20, 2021.

After two months in Virden, Grayson landed a full-time job at the Auburn Police Department. He remained there through May 1, 2022, when he was hired full-time by  the Logan County Sheriff’s Office.

Grayson stayed with the Logan office for just under a year. He was hired full-time by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office on May 1, 2023.

He received his part-time Law Enforcement Certification on June 5, 2021. His certification status is currently suspended.

In addition to murder charges, Grayson has been charged with aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct related to Massey’s death.

Massey’s killing at the hands of a white officer renewed difficult conversations about police brutality against black civilians.

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Wilburn and Massey’s mother, Donna Massey, met with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton at a Baptist church on Tuesday, Ben Crump said.

“They understood that oftentimes the Sonya Masseys of the world don’t get due process of the law. And that they were committed to saying this would be a fair and transparent investigation and process at every level,” the attorney noted.

Massey’s loved ones are calling on Congress to approve the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, both of which were approved by House Democrats before dying in the Senate in 2021.

The first piece of legislation, in particular, aims to crack down on police misconduct, excessive force and racial bias.

“Every member of Congress needs to vote today so that nobody else in this United States of America has to go through what we’re going through,” Wilburn insisted.

Vice President Kamala Harris also voiced her support for the Massey family.

“Sonya Massey deserved to be safe,” she said Tuesday.

“After she called the police for help, she was tragically killed in her own home at the hands of a responding officer sworn to protect and serve. The disturbing footage released yesterday confirms what we know from the lived experiences of so many — we have much work to do to ensure that our justice system fully lives up to its name.”

Sean Grayson is being held without bond in the Sangamon County Jail. If convicted, he faces up to 45 years to life in prison for murder, as well as six to 30 years for battery and two to five years for misconduct.

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