According to ABC News, the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board has confirmed that the ex-sheriff’s deputy, who responded to Sonya Massey’s call for assistance and fatally shot her in her Illinois residence, has held six different police positions since 2020.
On Monday, body camera footage was released which showed former deputy Sean Grayson shouting at Tanisha Massey, an unarmed 36-year-old Black woman and mother of two, to put down a pot of boiling hot water.
Illinois State Police conducted a review and concluded that Grayson’s use of deadly force was not justified.
Grayson, a white individual, has entered a plea of not guilty to three charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct in relation to Massey’s death.
According to records from the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB), Grayson, who is 30 years old, has been employed in four police departments and two sheriff’s offices within the state of Illinois over the past four years. During this time, he held down three full-time positions and three part-time positions.
According to records, Grayson held positions at three different police departments in 2021. He spent just over three months at the Kincaid Police Department before leaving for reasons listed as “other.”
After serving for a year and two months, Grayson’s longest employment was with the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office. Unfortunately, he was dismissed from his job last week after Massey’s death.
From August 2020 to July 2021, Grayson was employed part-time at the Pawnee Police Department. Although he left the department, the reason for his departure is listed as “other.” Additionally, he worked part-time at the Kincaid Police Department from February to May 2021.
According to ABC News, the Kincaid Police Department stated that Grayson was released from his duties by the Village of Kincaid board after he refused to reside within the village’s 10-mile radius. The department further confirmed that Grayson had no complaints filed against him and faced no disciplinary actions during his tenure with the Kincaid Police.
From May to December 2021, he was hired part-time by the Virden Police Department, and simultaneously worked full-time at the Auburn Police Department from July 2021 to May 2022. In both cases, his departure was listed as “resigned.”
In May 2022, Grayson began working full-time at the Logan County Sheriff’s Office until his resignation in April 2023. He then joined the Sangamon Sheriff’s Office in May 2023, where he was employed until his termination last week.
ABC News is currently gathering additional information regarding Grayson’s employment history.
Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell announced last week that Sean Grayson’s employment with the Sheriff’s Office has been terminated due to his failure to act as trained or in accordance with their standards. The Sheriff stated, “It is clear that the deputy did not act as trained or in accordance with our standards.”
James Wilburn, Massey’s father, raised doubts about Grayson’s work experience.
According to Wilburn, the main question that arises is, how did this man manage to get hired in law enforcement despite his history of misconduct? Wilburn expressed his concerns to ABC News and highlighted the double standards in the hiring process. He pointed out that a Black man with even a minor issue in his credit history is often disqualified from joining the police department. However, in this case, the individual in question has been employed in six different departments within just four years.
During a press conference held on Tuesday, Wilburn expressed his disapproval of Sheriff Campbell’s involvement in Grayson’s employment and went as far as calling for Campbell’s resignation.
Wilburn expressed his disdain towards the sheriff, stating that he is an embarrassment and should not have been given a badge or a gun. He firmly believes that Grayson should have never been in a position where he had the opportunity to take the life of his child.
In an interview with ABC News, Campbell confirmed that he has no plans of resigning.
According to Ben Crump, the civil rights attorney who represents Massey’s family, Grayson must be held accountable for his actions.
