Sheriff’s deputy who killed Sonya Massey should have raised flags after being discharged from the Army for drunk driving, experts say

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — An Illinois sheriff’s deputy accused of fatally shooting Sonya Massey has been kicked out of the Army for the first of two drunken-driving convictions during which he had a gun in his automotive, authorities said. But that hasn’t stopped multiple law enforcement agencies from giving him a badge.

Before he began his police profession, working six jobs over 4 years (the first three of which were part-time), 30-year-old Sean Grayson was convicted twice in a yr of drink-driving, which cost him his military service.

Law enforcement experts say his convictions and employment history should have raised serious questions when the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department hired him in May 2023.

Grayson, who was fired, has been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and abuse of authority in the death of Massey, a 36-year-old black woman who called 911 a couple of suspect who had broken into her home in Springfield, 200 miles (320 kilometers) southwest of Chicago. Grayson, who is white, has pleaded not guilty.

“Six jobs in four years should raise suspicions. And you could ask why he wasn’t hired full-time at any of those (part-time) jobs,” said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a Washington think tank. “That, coupled with his DUI history, would be enough to investigate further whether he would fit the bill.”

Grayson, who enlisted in the Army in 2014, was charged with driving under the influence in Macoupin County, south of Sangamon County, after traffic stops on Aug. 10, 2015, and again on July 26, 2016.

The first drunken driving conviction led to his discharge from the military in February 2016 for “serious misconduct,” in response to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to debate personnel information, adding that Grayson had an unregistered weapon in his vehicle.

Macoupin County State’s Attorney Jordan Garrison confirmed that police found a gun in the center console, but Grayson was not charged with possession of a weapon because he was a resident of Fort Riley, Kansas. Kansas has a law to hold firearms openly.

Grayson was discharged on honorable terms, relatively than honorably, because he was charged by a civilian law enforcement agency and his military service was otherwise good.

His attorney, Daniel Fultz, declined to comment Monday.

Sean Smoot, chairman of the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, said a DUI charge doesn’t disqualify you from serving in law enforcement, but an employment agency can definitely take that into consideration.

“Some police departments wouldn’t hire someone with one DUI,” Smoot said. “I’m shocked that an agency would hire someone with two DUIs, but apparently a lot of agencies have.”

Massey’s father, James Wilburn, has called for the resignation of Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell. “He has no intention of stepping down,” Campbell spokesman Jeff Wilhite said.

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A press release from Campbell’s office said the county merit board and state law enforcement board really helpful Grayson be certified as an officer, despite the DUI charges. Grayson also passed a drug test, a criminal background check, a psychological evaluation and a 16-week academy course.

Before coming to Springfield, Grayson worked for a yr as a sheriff’s deputy in Logan County, simply to the northeast. According to a report obtained through a public records request, in November 2022, he was told he needed more training, including “high-stress decision-making classes,” after he did not comply with an order to stop a high-speed chase, reaching speeds of 110 miles per hour (177 kph) before colliding with a deer.

When he applied to Logan, an employment report from Auburn, south of Springfield, where he had worked before, showed that although Grayson all the time showed up for work early, was willing to be trained, was open to criticism and had no disciplinary motion, he had trouble writing reports, was “not very good with evidence—he would leave things lying around the office” and was “a braggart.”

Logan County records also include complaints of misconduct by two people arrested by Grayson, including one wherein a lady who admitted to having drugs in a body cavity claimed Grayson gave her a glove and ordered her to remove the contraband in front of him and one other officer. She was later taken to the hospital to have it removed, and she or he claimed Grayson had forced his way through the curtain during the procedure. He denied each complaints and resigned from Logan County before the investigation was accomplished.

Body camera footage from the night of the shooting shows Grayson and one other officer finding no sign of anyone breaking into the apartment. They wait several minutes for Massey to reply, during which Grayson says the woman is dead inside, then impatiently calls out to her.

Massey, who has a history of mental health issues, appears confused and says, “Don’t hurt me.” Grayson sometimes responds in a patronizing or impatient manner.

“His behavior before, during and after the incident indicates that this guy was erratic, and that’s a courtesy,” said Kalfani Ture, a former police officer who is now an assistant professor of criminology at Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania, and an instructor at the New York Police Department’s academy.

At Massey’s home, the video shows Grayson ordering a pot of water off the stove. Massey appears to position it near the sink. The two joke that Grayson has moved away from the “hot, steaming water,” and Massey inexplicably says, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”

This prompts Grayson to attract his gun. Massey apologizes and hides behind the counter, but when Grayson yells at her to drop the pot, she appears to select it up. Grayson shoots her thrice, hitting her in the face, and she or he makes no immediate attempts to offer medical attention because, “It’s a headshot.”

“That’s not a characteristic of an officer. That’s a characteristic of someone who has a corrupt indifference to human life,” Ture said. “And this incident is not an aberration. Someone like that is pretty consistent in presenting that type of profile.”

Ture said Massey likely picked up the pan again because she was disoriented by the shouted orders. He moved too quickly to make use of lethal force — he had other options, including using a stun gun, chemical spray or easily subduing the petite woman, Ture said.

According to Wexler, drawing the gun only escalated the incident.

“He should have slowed down, talked it out, had a plan B and known where the door was to get out of the house, rather than putting himself in a situation where he had no other choice but to use deadly force, standing there, drawing his weapon and shouting orders,” Wexler said.