Attorney: Family wasn’t immediately told Sonya Massey death was deputy-involved

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The attorney representing the family of an Illinois woman killed by authorities who responded to her 911 call alleges they weren’t immediately told it was a deputy-involved shooting.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said Tuesday that the Department of Justice will open an investigation into this month’s fatal shooting of Sonya Massey and how deputies from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office handled the aftermath, a development he welcomes.

“This whole thing about they seem to not have been told the truth from the very beginning,” Crump said at a news conference with some of Massey’s survivors.

In a statement to WGN, a DOJ spokesman said the agency was “aware of and assessing the circumstances surrounding the tragic officer-involved death of Ms. Sonya Massey and extends condolences to her family and loved ones. The Department will continue to track the criminal case opened by the Sangamon County State’s Attorney.”

Massey, 36, was killed in the early morning hours of July 6 after she’d called 911 to report a suspected prowler. In body-cam footage showing her final moments, Massey ducked and apologized to Deputy Sean Grayson seconds before he shot the Black woman three times in her home, with one fatal blow to the head.

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Grayson has since been fired from the department and indicted by an Illinois grand jury. He’s pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct.

In the hours following Massey’s death, family members said they were not told it was a deputy-involved shooting until much later, Crump said. He added that he’s also obtained a call to dispatch that reported the shooting as self-inflicted.

“When I got to the scene, officers notified me that it was under investigation, and we knew she had problems with her neighbor. Not once was I told that an officer did it,” family member Jimmy Crawford said.

Massey’s family is also calling for Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell to resign for hiring Grayson in the first place. State records obtained by WGN’s Nexstar sister station WCIA-TV show that Grayson worked at six different law enforcement agencies within a four-year period and that he has two misdemeanor DUIs in his background.

County officials said they were aware of the DUIs due to required background checks but added that according to their knowledge, Grayson had not been terminated from any previous jobs.

“If it weren’t for that camera footage, they would have lied their way right out of this, so he needs to resign,” said Massey’s father, James Wilburn.

In a statement to WGN, Campbell, the sheriff, said simply: “I will not be resigning.”

WGN has reached out to the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office for comment about the allegations made by Crump and the Massey family. As of this publication, we’ve not received a response.

Statement from Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell:

The Body Worn Camera footage has now been released, and the public can see what we saw: Sonya Massey lost her life due to an unjustifiable and reckless decision by former Deputy Sean Grayson.

Grayson had other options available that he should have used. His actions were inexcusable and do not reflect the values or training of our office. He will now face judgment by the criminal justice system and will never again work in law enforcement. Ms. Massey needlessly lost her life, and her family deserves answers. I trust the legal process will provide them.

This incident does not reflect the values or actions of our law enforcement community. It was a tragic decision made by an individual who had the training, tools, and experience to know better. We are committed to upholding a standard that prevents such tragedies from occurring in the future.

Thank you.

Sheriff Jack Campbell

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