Cop in Fatal Shooting Worked for 6 Police Agencies in 4 Years

The former sheriff's deputy charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman killed inside her Illinois home, had been employed by a half-dozen police agencies since 2020, the AP reports, citing state law enforcement records. Sean Grayson's career included short stints as a part-time officer at three small police departments and a full-time job at a fourth department as well as working full time at two sheriff's offices, all in central Illinois. Grayson, 30, who is white, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct charges in the July 6 killing.

The AP is seeking Grayson's employment history from the six agencies.

• The Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board shows Grayson was hired part time on Aug. 11, 2020, by the Pawnee Police Department. He also was hired part time on Feb. 4, 2021, by the Kincaid Police Department and on May 20, 2021, by the Virden Police Department.
• Two months later, he was hired full time by the Auburn Police Department and remained there until May 1, 2022, when he was hired full time by the Logan County Sheriff's Office. Grayson left Logan County on April 28, 2023, and was hired full time on May 1, 2023, by the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office.
• He received his part-time Law Enforcement Certification on June 5, 2021, according to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. His certification status currently reads as suspended.

James Wilburn, Massey's father, called for Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell to resign. "I want to tell y'all the sheriff here is an embarrassment," Wilburn said. "This man (Grayson) should have ... never had a gun. He should have never been given the opportunity to kill my child." The family wants Congress to approve the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, both of which US House Democrats approved in 2021 before the legislation died in the Senate. The first aims to crack down on police misconduct, excessive force, and racial bias in law enforcement, while the voting rights act would require local jurisdictions to seek federal approval before changing voting laws.

(More Sonya Massey stories.)