Illinois sheriff who hired deputy who shot Sonya Massey says he will not step down

The Illinois sheriff who hired Sean Grayson, the deputy who shot and killed Sonya Massey in her own home after she called 911 earlier this month, announced he would not be stepping down.

Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell said Monday he would not step down after community members called for his resignation, contending it would not solve anything if he did.

"We failed Sonya and the community," Campbell told a packed hall of about 300 people at Union Baptist Church Monday night. "I ask your forgiveness."

Who is Sonya Massey?

Sonya Massey was the 36-year-old woman who was shot by a deputy in her own home after she called them to investigate a possible intruder in her home in Springfield, Illinois, on July 6.

The body camera footage was released on July 22, revealing how Grayson escalated the incident and sparking national outcry.

In the footage and according to transcripts from the incident, Grayson threatened to shoot her in the face if she did not put down a pot of boiling water he asked her to remove from the stove. He shot her three times.

She is survived by both her parents, her sisters and two children. Her funeral service was on July 19.

Who is Sonya Massey? What to know about the woman shot by police in her Springfield home

Who has been held accountable for Sonya Massey's death?

The Justice Department's community relations service organized the "listening session" for the grieving community that took place Monday night, about three weeks after Massey’s killing.

Grayson has since been fired and is charged with murder.

Justice officials opened a federal probe into Massey's killing as chaotic and gruesome body-worn camera footage released to the public last week revealed harrowing details of the case. Massey was fatally shot in the face by Grayson, who according to a transcript ordered her to put down a pot of boiling water.

What has been the response to Sonya Massey's death?

Her death has sparked national outcry and renewed calls for police reform, with vigils springing up from coast to coast over the weekend.

Former Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder said the fatal shooting of Massey set Springfield, Ill., back "100 years," a reference to the Springfield Race Riot of 1908 that gave rise to NAACP in 1909.

Many community members called for Campbell's resignation, one of the harshest critics has been James Wilburn, Sonya Massey's father. He has been critical of the sheriff's department's hiring of Grayson and previously called on Campbell to resign.

Several speakers in the public comment section Monday night joined him in calling for Campbell's resignation, while others threatened to vote him out. The sheriff ran unopposed for his second term in 2022 and stands for reelection in 2026.

What did Sheriff Campbell say about Sonya Massey's death?

Campbell asked the community and Massey's family for forgiveness at the Monday night listening session.

"I stand here before you with my arms wide open and I ask for your forgiveness, and I ask Ms. Massey and her family for her forgiveness. I offer up no excuses," Campbell told the crowd.

He also promised to never forget her and the unimaginable pain her family feels.

"Sonya Massey. I will say her name and I'll never forget her," Campbell told the crowd Monday. "I cannot imagine the pain that her family and friends feel right now. I'm sorry . . . We did not do our jobs."

N'dea Yancey-Bragg a reporter for USA TODAY contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Sheriff says he won't step down after deputy killed woman