SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday called for the resignation of the sheriff whose deputy fatally wounded Sonya Massey at her home last month after a black woman called 911.
Pritzker, a Democrat, said Republican Jack Campbell should resign because “the sheriff has failed.”
Sean Grayson, 30, faces three counts of first-degree murder, aggravated battery and official misconduct in the July 6 shooting of Massey, 36. Campbell, who hired Grayson for the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department in May 2023, echoed his sentiments. plans to stay at work on Wednesday.
“He has not been able to explain how he ended up hiring this deputy sheriff who has been fired from other departments,” Pritzker said of Campbell at an event in Chicago. “He failed to introduce reforms that clearly need to be done, education and other reforms, but still has not met the Massey family.”
There is no evidence that Grayson was fired from any previous job. And Pritzker did not specify what “educational and other reforms” Campbell should have implemented after the murder.
Grayson has come under scrutiny because — before he became a law enforcement officer — he was kicked out of the military a decade ago for the first of two drunken driving convictions within a year. His law enforcement career included six jobs over four years during which he received reviews that indicated he needed more training and had one disciplinary issue.
Grayson was fired July 17 for violating use-of-force standards by shooting Massey instead of taking non-lethal action when she felt threatened by the hot water he was holding, officials said.
The sheriff announced Wednesday that he will continue on the job.
“I was overwhelmingly chosen to lead the sheriff’s office through good times and bad,” Campbell said in a statement. “I am fully prepared to continue to lead my office and serve the residents of Sangamon County during this difficult time, making sure we learn from this tragedy and work toward a better future.”
Pritzker, who along with Lt. Juliana Stratton met with the Massey family two weeks ago, chided Campbell for not sitting down with family members.
“At a minimum, listen to them, hear them and then hopefully act,” Pritzker said.
Campbell said he has requested meetings with the family four times through intermediaries chosen by the family, but none have been granted. He said he would still like to meet.
He also said he is open to changing hiring practices, but since Sangamon County follows statewide standards, the necessary changes should be made statewide.
The sheriff’s office “continues to grieve for Sonya Massey and her family,” Campbell said. “While our grief cannot compare to the family’s pain, our office is trying to heal from the inside – everyone at the Sheriff’s Office feels betrayed.”
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Associated Press writer Sophia Tareen contributed from Chicago.
