The jarring slaying of Sonya Massey has stunned the world and placed Sean Grayson in infamy. The former Sangamon County Deputy shot and killed Massey in her Macomb, Illinois, home as she was unarmed and crouching on the ground in fear. Massey called the police to her residence, believing there may have been a prowler on her property, but instead, Grayson escalated the situation. He told Massey to check on a pot boiling on her stove because they didn’t want to risk a fire. As she did as he asked, words were exchanged, resulting in Massey telling Grayson, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” He then pulled his weapon and threatened to shoot her in the face.
Massey said, “I’m sorry,” as she bent down to the ground with her arms in the air. Grayson shot her three times, killing the 36-year-old mother instantly. The body camera footage was released and sent shockwaves on social media. Protests have erupted, and calls for justice have been echoed from one coast to the other. Grayson has been removed from his position, arrested, and charged with three counts of first-degree murder, among others.
However, this tragedy is an unfortunate cap in Grayson’s long line of transgressions. His career and personal life are riddled with controversy. These indiscretions show a man who never should have had a badge, illuminating how the system failed those he was hired to “protect and serve.” Within the last four years, Grayson bounced around six police departments in central Illinois. His supervisors detailed concerns over his behavior, but Grayson flew under the radar despite the warning signs. Here are 11 reasons why Sean Grayson should never have been an officer of the law.
1. “Extreme Mental Cruelty” Was Cited In Divorce Papers
According to Newsweek, Sean Grayson and Alexia Pitchford, a nail technician, separated in May 2015. The outlet stated the divorce documents reportedly show that Grayson was “cited over ‘extreme and repeated mental cruelty’ without cause or provocation.” The paperwork didn’t detail specifics of what that meant. Further, in the divorce, Pitchford “received possession of several household items during the split, including a table, a vacuum and a moped.” She dropped “Grayson” from her name, and both parties walked away without having to pay the other.
2. He Was Corrected For Inaccurately Filing A Report
An incident in 2022 found Grayson on the wrong side of his supervisors. While working for the Logan County Sheriff’s Department, CNN reported that on September 12 of that year, Grayson was on patrol in Lincoln, Illinois. In the early morning hours, Grayson pursued a truck, believing the woman driving it “was acting suspicious” because she didn’t use a turn signal. After turning on his squad car lights and attempting to pull the woman over, she reportedly didn’t stop.
The pursuit continued “at a high rate of speed,” but over his police radio, Grayson’s supervisor told him to end the hunt. Yet, Grayson continued driving at fast speeds, eventually striking a deer on the road. In an interview with his supervisors, the officer was questioned about including incorrect information in the report. He named the wrong street where he first saw the truck make the traffic infraction, something that puzzled Logan County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Nathan Miller, who reportedly brought out a map to show Grayson it was “impossible” for his statements to be correct.
In an audio recording of the conversation between Miller and Grayson, the latter admitted to the inaccuracy. “The sheriff and I will not tolerate lying and deception, nor should we, or the county or the state or law enforcement partners,” Miller said in the audio. “And you understand this?” Grayson answered, “Yes, I do.” One month later, CNN added that another disciplinary report showed that Grayson “needed ‘report writing training, high stress decision making classes, and needs to read, understand and discuss issued Logan County Sheriff’s Office Policy.’”
“If we can’t trust what you say and what you see, we can’t have you in our uniform,” Miller told Grayson in the recording. He stated, “Others will say you have no integrity, and you’re lying to get to that traffic stop. And I have told you that I have zero tolerance for stretching the law. Because when you have officers that stretch the law, they will get caught, they will get prosecuted.” Miller also expressed unease. “I’m getting goosebumps. This is extremely concerning. Everybody likes you. I gotta be able to trust you. Was this a purposefully done lie?” Grayson said, “No.”
3. He Left The Army Due To A “Serious Offense”
Moreover, Grayson’s concerning behaviors date back to his time in the U.S. military. Reports state he joined the Army in 2014 but was back home in 2016 after being cited for a “serious offense.” It has been learned that while serving, Grayson was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. This would be the first of two DUI arrests. At the time, his address was listed in Kansas, as he was stationed at Fort Riley. Further, a Sangamon County spokesperson admitted that authorities knew about Grayson’s DUIs and were aware that by 2024, they were his sixth job in law enforcement in four years, but hired him anyway.
4. The First DUI In 2015
Multiple outlets have stated that a 21-year-old Grayson was driving a Ford pickup truck in Springfield, Illinois, when a Virden Police officer saw him on the road in 2015. Grayson had his high beam lights on and was seen hitting a curb. Then, when the officer pursued the truck, Grayson continued to hit the curb repeatedly before pulling over. Grayson would admit to the officer that he had one or two beers hours before getting behind the wheel. Soon, that increased to four. The officer noted that Grayson’s “eyes were bloodshot and watery.” There were also claims that Grayson’s breath smelled of alcohol.
During the traffic stop, Grayson reportedly failed multiple field sobriety tests. He was reportedly swaying while attempting to stand on one leg, and he refused the breathalyzer. Meanwhile, as he searched Grayson’s vehicle, the officer found a loaded firearm. Reports state that Grayson did not have a license to carry at the time, but he told police he was in the military, and that’s why he kept it with him. Ammunition was also located in the glove box, along with marijuana that reportedly belonged to Grayson’s passenger. Grayson was arrested at the scene, and his blood alcohol level was later tested. He clocked .117—the legal limit is .08—and pleaded guilty.
5. The Second DUI In 2016
Eleven months later, in July 2016, Grayson was once again facing a DUI. He was driving the same Ford pickup truck in Girard, Illinois, when a Macoupin County sheriff witnessed him making a turn that caused Grayson to drift into the officer’s lane. Grayson was pursued once again, this time crossing into oncoming lanes and almost causing an accident with a semi-tractor. When he was pulled over, Grayson is said to have lit a cigarette and was observed having “glassy and bloodshot” eyes. The officer claimed Grayson was also slurring his speech and struggled to provide his paperwork. When the officer ran Grayson’s Kansas license, it showed it was suspended.
“When Sean stepped out of the truck I observed him to lose his balance and he caught himself by leaning against his back driver’s side door,” the report states. Grayson was asked to do sobriety tests once again, but he confused the officer when he simply answered, “Not true.” The report adds, “I asked Sean what he meant. He again stated, ‘Not true.’ I asked him if he was going to do field sobriety tests for me and he stated ‘no.’”
Grayson was arrested and taken to the station. While there, his behavior reportedly became erratic, and he told officers to “hurry up.” Grayson also was said to have threatened the officer with his 6-foot 3-inch stature, stating he “was too small to be making him mad.”
6. Virden Police Department
From May 2021 to December 2021, Grayson was employed part-time at the Virden Police Department. During his time there, he didn’t receive any disciplinary actions. Yet, the department admitted that they did not have evidence to show they conducted a background check when he was hired. That doesn’t mean one wasn’t completed; it’s just that there were no records of one being done. Dispatch supervisor David Bounds explained why Sean Grayson’s time with the department ended.
“We did not receive a resignation from Mr. Grayson,” Bounds reportedly stated in a letter. Apparently, Grayson got another job and ceased going to work. “He just stopped covering shifts. We were advised that Mr. Grayson left our department to accept a full-time position with the Auburn Police Department. We have no disciplinary actions against Mr. Grayson.”
7. Kincaid Police Department
While working as a part-time officer for the Pawnee Police Department, Sean Grayson also got a job with the Kincaid Police Department. Again, he did not have records of complaints or disciplinary issues, but Grayson was known to have an attitude problem. Mike Lawrence is a member of the Village of Kincaid’s Board of Trustees and had less-than-favorable memories of Grayson.
“I thought he was a loose cannon,” Lawrence said. “He was just arrogant and cocky.” Of the Sonya Massey shooting footage, he added, “I watched the video today actually. It was disgusting [and] it was shocking because it was so wrong.” Lawrence also stated he didn’t know anything about Grayson’s DUI while in the Army.
8. Auburn Police Department
When he applied to the Auburn Police Department in July 2021, Grayson had a letter of recommendation in hand. It was from his former first sergeant, who noted Grayson’s DUI when he enlisted in the Army but also said Grayson didn’t have any issues while serving in the military. However, the department reportedly stated that Grayson described his discharge from the Army as “honorable,” which was a lie. They also shared that they did not look into the discharge, either.
On his application, Grayson was asked if he had ever been “convicted of, charged with or (was) currently waiting trial for any crime greater than that of a minor traffic offense to include driving while intoxicated,” Grayson said, “No, I have only been arrested and charged for DUI.”
9. Supervisors Expressed Concern
Before submitting his letter of resignation from the Logan Police Department in April 2023, Grayson’s supervisors reportedly had concerns regarding his behavior. Grayson was called a “bragger” and deemed “too aggressive.” According to KDSK News out of St. Louis, a supervisor asked Grayson, “How are you still employed by us?” He answered, “I don’t know.”
In a disciplinary report from Logan, Grayson also faced accusations from a couple he pulled over during a traffic stop. The pair alleged that Grayson was “harassing” them and “abusing his power” during the incident, where arrests were also made. An investigation by the department did not find that Grayson did anything wrong.
10. He Was Called A “Bully”
Further, in another incident that reportedly occurred in 2023, Grayson tried to use his position against a woman. Girard Police Chief Wayman Meredith told CBS that Grayson “pressured him to call child services on a woman outside the home of Grayson’s mother.” Details of the incident are scarce, but Grayson was described as being “steaming mad.” Meredith added, “He was acting like a bully. He was wanting me to do stuff that was not kosher.”
11. Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office Didn’t Know Of His Past
Grayson was working for the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office when he fatally shot Sonya Massey in cold blood. In a statement, the Office said they were not aware of Grayson’s past disciplinary actions. “We were not provided any such information from any of Grayson’s former employers, nor from any crediting agency,” the statement said. They were aware, however, of his DUIs. “We cannot comment on whether the information is accurate, nor why it was not shared by another agency.”
“The Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) reviewed the information, which included the DUI convictions,” the office said. “ILETSB certified Grayson for hire and advised that he had been certified several times in the past despite the history of the DUIs.” Grayson also was said to have passed a background check, drug test, and psychological evaluation. He also participated in and graduated from the 16-week training academy.
“[Sonya Massey] called for help and we failed. We did not do our jobs,” Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell told the public during a meeting. He added, “We failed Sonya. We failed Sonya’s family and friends. We failed the community.”
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