Sean Grayson is in police custody, has been fired by the sheriff's department and will make his first court appearance on July 18, when he will be arraigned on three counts of murder, as well as aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct.
Sangamon County State's Attorney John Milhiser said in a news release said he will file a court petition to detain Grayson while awaiting trial, under provisions of the Illinois Pretrial Fairness Act.
Grayson is being represented by Springfield lawyer Dan Fultz, who declined comment. A Sangamon County Jail official said Grayson wasn't being held at the jail after the indictment, but the official wouldn't comment further. Fultz also wouldn't say where Grayson is being held.
Body-worn camera footage from the incident will be released to the public at 10 a.m. July 22, according to Milhiser's news release. "Nothing has been redacted except for the blurring of certain images, which was done out of respect for Ms. Massey and her family," the release said.
The funeral for Massey, 36, a single mother of two children, is scheduled for July 19 at Ruby's Funeral Services & Crematories in Springfield. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump is representing Massey's family and is expected to be in Springfield that day to potentially attend funeral services and speak to the news media.
The news release from Milhiser about Massey's death, which has sparked protests coordinated by Black leaders and activists in Springfield and generated national media attention, said Grayson "discharged his firearm, striking Ms. Massey and killing her."
Massey, who received a single gunshot to the head, was pronounced dead at 1:47 a.m. July 6 in HSHS St. John's Hospital's emergency department. Massey's mother, Donna Massey, has said her daughter weighed 110 pounds.
Details of what led to the shooting have been sketchy. The news release said Grayson and another sheriff's deputy responded to a 911 call in the 2800 block of Hoover Avenue, just outside Springfield's borders, about 12:50 p.m. July 6.
Grayson and the other deputy, who wasn't named, "made contact with the caller, Sonya Massey, at her residence," the release said.
Milhiser said in the release that his office worked closely with the Illinois State Police on an investigation after being contacted by the Sangamon County Sheriff's Department.
"A review of the Illinois State Police investigation, including the body-worn camera footage, does not support a finding that Deputy Sean Grayson was justified in his use of deadly force," the release said.
A Sangamon County grand jury heard evidence on the case the morning of July 17 and returned the five-count indictment.
PHOTO BY DEAN OLSEN
About 150 people gather July 17 outside the Springfield NAACP building to demand information and action by prosecutors in the wake of the July 6 shooting death of Sonya Massey, 36, at the hands of a Sangamon County sheriff's deputy.
The release said Massey's family met in the State's Attorney's Office in Springfield on July 17 with prosecutors and state police officials for an update on the investigation and to allow family members to view body-worn camera footage.
Paul Grinke, a member of Crump's law firm, spoke at a news conference the evening of July 17, as Milhiser was announcing the indictments, and thanked the public for giving Massey's family "a little time to process what they saw today. I'm not going to sugarcoat it. It was shocking, and it hurts to watch."
Grinke thanked Milhiser and ISP officials for their "very, very quick and swift move toward justice. I do believe in this case the wheels of justice are turning."
Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell said in a statement: "My heart breaks for the family and friends of Sonya Massey. This is a tragic incident, and we mourn with them and the community."
Campbell said Grayson has been terminated. Sangamon County government records indicated Grayson was being paid $56,234 annually.
"It is clear that the deputy did not act as trained or in accordance with our standards," Campbell said. "The actions taken by Deputy Grayson do not reflect the values and training of the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office or law enforcement as a whole. Good law enforcement officers stand with our community in condemning actions that undermine the trust and safety we strive to uphold."
Campbell added: "We are committed to justice and accountability. With our badge we accept enormous responsibility, and if that responsibility is abused, there should be consequences. Our office will continue to cooperate fully with the criminal proceedings as this case moves forward. We must continue to trust our justice system and the legal process and work together as a community so the actions of one person does not divide us."
Sangamon County Board Chairman Andy Van Meter said in a statement that Massey's alleged murder "is a tragedy that reverberates in multiple dimensions. We are powerless to right this wrong. But we can seek justice for the victim and for the community."
Van Meter said he is confident that Campbell and Milhiser "will do their utmost to achieve the community's collective will that justice be done. We must not let the tragic decision of one individual besmirch our highly trained and dedicated law enforcement officers. We must redouble our efforts to guard against the recurrence of such a tragedy."
Gov. JB Pritzker also issued a statement after charges were announced, saying Sonya Massey "was concerned for her safety and called law enforcement to her home for protection. Like all Illinoisans, she deserved that protection. Instead, innocent and unarmed, she was gunned down by an officer of the law. My heart breaks for Sonya's children, for her family and friends and for all who knew and loved her, and I am enraged that another innocent Black woman had her life taken from her at the hands of a police officer."
The governor said he was grateful for Milhiser's office "bringing the appropriate charges in this case" and added, "May Sonya Massey's memory be a blessing, and may it fuel our work to build a system of justice in this country that truly protects all of its citizens."
Dean Olsen is a senior staff writer at Illinois Times. He can be reached at 217-836-1068 or [email protected].
This story has been updated. More updates will continue to be posted online at illinoistimes.com.
