Illinois governor calls for resignation of sheriff whose deputy fatally shot Black woman in her home

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker called Wednesday for the resignation of the sheriff whose deputy fatally wounded Sonya Massey in her home last month after the Black woman called 911 for help.

Pritzker, a Democrat, said Republican Jack Campbell should step down because “the sheriff has failed.”

Sean Grayson, 30, faces three counts of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct in the July 6 shooting death of Massey, 36. Campbell, who hired Grayson for the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department in May 2023, reiterated his intent Wednesday to stay in the job.

“He has failed 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 put forward reforms that clearly need to be made, training and other reforms and still has failed to meet with the Massey family.”

There is no evidence Grayson was fired from any previous job. And Pritzker did not elaborate on what “training and other reforms” Campbell should have implemented since the killing.

Grayson has come under scrutiny because — prior to becoming a law enforcement officer — he was kicked out of the Army a decade ago for the first of two drunken driving arrests within a year. His law enforcement career included six jobs in four years, during which he received some reviews that indicated he needed more training and had one disciplinary problem.

Grayson was fired on July 17 for violating use-of-force standards by shooting Massey rather than taking non-lethal action when he felt threatened by a pan of hot water she was holding, according to authorities.

The sheriff signaled Wednesday that he would stay on the job.

“I was overwhelmingly elected to lead the sheriff’s office through both good times and bad,” Campbell said in a statement. “I am fully prepared to continue leading my office and serving the residents of Sangamon County through this difficult period, ensuring we learn from this tragedy and work toward a better future.”

Pritzker, who with Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton met with Massey’s family two weeks ago, faulted Campbell for not sitting down with family members.

“At a minimum, listen to them, hear them, and then hopefully, take action,” Pritzker said.

Campbell said he has requested meetings with the family four times through family-designated intermediaries, but none has been accepted. He said he would still like to meet.

He also said he is willing to modify hiring practices but because Sangamon County follows statewide standards, 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 pain of the family, our office is trying to heal from within — all employees of the sheriff’s office feel betrayed by one of their own.”

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Associated Press writer Sophia Tareen contributed from Chicago.