SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Illinois Gov. J-B Pritzker called Wednesday for the resignation of the Sangamon County Sheriff, whose deputy fatally shot Sonya Massey in her home last month after she called 911 for help.
Pritzker says Jack Campbell should step down because “the sheriff has failed.”
30-year-old former Deputy Sean Grayson faces three counts of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct in the July 6 shooting death of 36-year-old Sonya Massey.
Campbell, who hired Grayson for the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department in May 2023, says he will not resign.
“He has failed to explain how he ended up hiring this deputy sheriff who has been fired from other departments,” Pritzker said of Campbell at an event in Chicago. “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.”
At this point, there is no evidence that Grayson was fired from any previous job. And, the governor did not elaborate on what “training and other reforms” Campbell should have implemented since the fatal shooting.
Grayson reportedly was kicked out of the Army a decade ago, prior to becoming a law enforcement officer, for the first of two DUI arrests within a year.
Grayson’s law enforcement career included six jobs in four years, during which he received some reviews that indicated he needed additional training and had at least one disciplinary issue.
Grayson was fired on July 17 for violating use-of-force standards by shooting Massey rather than taking non-lethal action when he felt threatened by a pot of boiling water she was holding, according to authorities.
Grayson has pleaded not guilty and was denied pretrial release, according to court records.
Sheriff Campbell reiterated on Wednesday that he will stay on the job.
“I was overwhelmingly elected to lead the sheriff’s office through both good times and bad,” Campbell said in a statement. “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.”
Pritzker has faulted Campbell for not meeting with Massey’s family members.
“At a minimum, listen to them, hear them, and then hopefully, take action,” Pritzker said.
Campbell says he has requested meetings with the family several times, but none have been accepted.
A month after the shooting, Campbell says he’s willing to modify hiring practices at the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department, but because his department follows Illinois standards, necessary changes should be made statewide.
Campbell says the sheriff’s office “continues to grieve for Sonya Massey and her family,” Campbell said. “While our grief cannot compare to the pain of the family, our office is trying to heal from within — all employees of the sheriff’s office feel betrayed by one of their own.”
Campbell says he is still willing to meet with Massey’s family.
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