Illinois Governor Calls on Sangamon County Sheriff to Resign Over Fatal Shooting

A deputy sheriff allegedly shot a Springfield woman at her home on July 6 while investigating reports of a prowler in the area.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks before U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the economy, at the Old Post Office in Chicago on June 28, 2023. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is calling for Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell to resign from his post over the handling of the fatal officer-involved shooting of Springfield woman Sonya Massey.

On July 6, the now-former deputy sheriff Sean Grayson and another officer responded to reports of a prowler at Massey’s home. Grayson alleges that Massey had a pot of boiling water that she didn’t set down when instructed and instead charged at him, after which he opened fire on her.

Campbell has since fired Grayson, who is in custody facing first-degree murder charges, aggravated battery, and official misconduct charges. Grayson has pleaded not guilty to all charges and maintains his innocence.

At an Aug. 7 news conference, Pritzker claimed that while Campbell’s handling of the tragedy isn’t illegal or a fireable offense, his actions in the weeks since the incident have been unsatisfactory, and he urged Campbell to resign.

“I called for the Sheriff’s resignation because the Sheriff has failed. He has failed to explain how he ended up hiring this deputy sheriff who has been fired from other departments,” Pritzker said.

“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.”

The Epoch Times couldn’t immediately confirm whether Grayson has been fired from other law enforcement positions, although he did reportedly hold six different roles in four years. He also was discharged from the Army more than a decade ago over two drunken driving arrests, records show.

Sheriff Says He’s Not Resigning

Campbell so far has been adamant that he won’t resign and claims he is taking all steps toward ensuring that nothing like his ever happens again.

In an Aug. 8 media statement, the sheriff said his office is still gathering the facts necessary “to make intelligent decisions and to avoid making changes that are unlikely to lead to meaningful results.”

“The Sheriff’s Office is willing to modify our hiring practices in order to prevent an incident like this from occurring again,” he said.

“However, before changes can be made, it is important to identify the problem. We have used a process that we believe was consistent with statewide standards. If these standards are deficient, we would advocate a change at all necessary levels.

At the same time, Campbell said he’s reached out to the Massey family through intermediaries on four separate occasions for a meeting, but so far, they have declined.

Campbell said Pritzker’s calls for his resignation are nothing more than “political maneuvering during a tragic event and only hurt the good citizens of Sangamon County.”

“I was overwhelmingly elected to lead the Sheriff’s Office through both good times and bad,” he said.

“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.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.