SPRINGFIELD, IL — Following Illinois State Police’s release of the body camera footage from Sonya Massey’s killing in Springfield, Illinois, the Vera Institute of Justice issued a statement, claiming the family should be served justice and law enforcement officers need to be accountable to uphold the safety of everyone, according to a press release.
According to a New York Times article, believing that an intruder was in her home, Massey, a Black woman, called the police and, once Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson and another unidentified deputy found no one, was followed inside and asked for her identification.
And, in an Intercept story originally published by Invisible Institute, IPM Newsroom, and the Investigative Reporting Workshop, Grayson apparently was previously discharged from the U.S. Army for serious misconduct, military records show.
Grayson worked at two other police agencies before Sangamon County, staying only about a year at each – he killed a deer in an unauthorized, dangerous chase in one incident.
The NY Times article reveals what was displayed in the body camera footage, showing Grayson shooting Massey at least twice.
“Sonya Massey deserved to be safe in her home. The release of the Illinois sheriff’s deputy body cam footage, and the widespread media coverage of her killing, is a reminder of how the status quo of relying solely on policing for our safety has failed us,” said
Daniela Gilbert, director of the Redefining Public Safety initiative at the Vera Institute of Justice who issued the statement.
“Sonya’s family deserves justice,” Gilbert said, citing the nation’s need for greater investments in meeting the health and social needs of the people, “which includes wider availability, urgent implementation, and greater resourcing of civilian crisis responders to appropriately handle the millions of 911 calls made each year that do not require a law enforcement response.”
Gilbert added, “Comprehensive police accountability measures must go hand in hand with investments in initiatives that strengthen communities and prevent violence through evidence-based programs and strategies that approach community safety through the lens of public health.”
The Intercept story noted Grayson, who is white, was “indicted by a grand jury in the July 6 death of Massey, who is Black. Ben Crump, the family’s attorney, said the U.S. Department of Justice has also opened an investigation into the incident, but the agency said in a statement that it is “assessing the circumstances” and following the criminal case.”
The Intercept said documents “obtained from the Kincaid Police Department in Illinois, where Grayson worked previously, note that Grayson was discharged from the Army in 2016 from the Fort Riley Army installation in Kansas for “Misconduct (Serious Offense).” Army officials confirmed Grayson was a wheeled vehicle mechanic from May 2014 to February 2016, but declined to provide further details about his discharge.”
Daniel Fultz, Grayson’s defense attorney, told Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge Ryan Cadagin on July 17 at Grayson’s arraignment that Grayson received an honorable discharge after serving three years in the Army.
But, the DD Form 214 summarizing Grayson’s Army experience indicates he did not receive an honorable discharge, said the Intercept, whose sources said the DD Form 214 indicated Grayson was “kicked out” of the Army for serious misconduct.
Grayson received a “general” discharge under “honorable conditions,” which Ghiotto said means some, but not all, of Grayson’s service was honorable. That type of discharge should be a “red flag” to potential future employers, Ghiotto said. But he said a “bigger red flag” is the listing of misconduct.
It’s unclear what the misconduct entailed. Offenses that can lead to a finding of misconduct can include drug abuse, sexual assault and going AWOL, or “absent without official leave,” said the Intercept story.
Invisible Institute, Illinois Public Media, and the Investigative Reporting Workshop said they contacted law enforcement agencies in the counties surrounding Fort Riley, where Grayson was stationed.
“The Riley County Police Department said its only contact with Grayson came in 2015, when he hit a deer with his truck. The Geary County Sheriff’s Office refused to search for contacts between its agency and Grayson, claiming over the phone that to do so would be illegal,” added the Intercept in its story.
“Details are still emerging about the July 6 shooting of Massey, a Black woman who called the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department because of a suspected intruder at her home. Body-camera footage that has since been released shows that Grayson shot Massey three times after entering her home alongside another deputy and telling her to drop a pot of boiling water she was holding.
The Intercept wrote, “The footage shows Massey ducking with her hands up, and saying “I’m sorry,” before Grayson fired, and that the officer later discouraged his fellow deputy from providing medical aid. ‘She’s done,’ Grayson said. ‘You can go get it, but that’s a head shot.’”
The case has spurred national outcry and prompted President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to call for further police reform.
Grayson took his first full-time police job in July 2021, when he was hired by the Auburn Police Department. He would remain with Auburn until May 2022. Reached by phone, the department declined to comment on his employment, wrote the Intercept.
“In Grayson’s application for employment with the Auburn department, he said he was an Army veteran. When asked the type of discharge from the military, he wrote one word: honorable,” added the Intercept.
The news group added, after Auburn, Grayson was “hired by Logan County, where he remained for a year before starting as a deputy in Sangamon County in May 2023. While in Logan County, he pursued a vehicle at speeds of 110 mph, against the direct orders of his superiors and eventually hit a deer, according to records obtained by WAND-TV. His supervisors recommended “high-stress decision making” training for him.”
Intercept’s source said the Army records should have been a “red flag” for police departments considering hiring Grayson, adding, “I’m very concerned about any law enforcement office hiring somebody who is discharged for serious offense misconduct with a general discharge,” he said. “I wouldn’t hire a research assistant if they have that on their record, let alone a police officer.”
