Sean Grayson had enough infractions on his military and police records to raise red flags. Still, he managed to and kept his badge in several departments. Now, Sonia Masseya 36-year-old black woman who was reportedly experiencing mental health issues is dead.
Former Illinois Congressman fatally shot Massey in the face inside her home after she called 911 on July 6. As her family grieves, Grayson is in jail awaiting trial on first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a firearm and official misconduct. Grayson, who is white, has pleaded not guilty.
RELATED: Illinois Sheriff’s Deputy Who Shot Sonya Massey Breaks Silence
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Sean P. Grayson Arrested for DUI Twice in One Year
According to Associated pressGrayson received an Army boot for the first of two drunk driving convictions, in which he had a gun in his car. Before becoming a police officer, he was convicted twice in one year of driving under the influence.
Grayson enlisted in the Army in 2014. Prosecutors charged him with driving under the influence in Macoupin County, south of Sangamon County, after traffic stops on Aug. 10, 2015, and again on July 26, 2016.
The first DUI led to his discharge from the military in February 2016 for “serious misconduct,” according to a U.S. official who spoke to AP News on condition of anonymity to discuss personal information. The source added that Grayson had an unregistered gun in his vehicle. Grayson did not face a gun charge because he was a resident of Fort Riley, Kansas. Kansas has an open carry firearms law.
Grayson received a general discharge under honorable conditions rather than an honorable discharge because he was charged by a civilian law enforcement agency and his military service was good.
Sean Smoot, chairman of the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, said a misdemeanor DUI charge does not legally bar someone from serving in law enforcement. However, a hiring agency certainly could consider it.
“Some police departments would not have hired someone with one DUI,” Smoot said. “I’m shocked that an agency would hire someone with two DUIs, but several agencies apparently did.”
Sean Grayson’s former sheriff, Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell, said Grayson received the seal of approval from the county merit commission and the state law enforcement board. DUIs aside, he passed a drug test, criminal background check, psychological evaluation and 16-week academy course.
His former agency told him he needed more training in “high-stress decision-making.”
Before landing his final law enforcement job in Springfield, Grayson worked for a year as a deputy sheriff in Logan County, just to the northeast. According to a report obtained through a public records request, in November 2022 he was told he needed more training, including “high-stress decision-making classes.” At the time, he failed to follow an order to stop a high-speed chase, reaching speeds of 110 mph (177 km/h) before colliding with a deer.
Sean Grayson Receives Complaints of Misconduct at Logan County Clerk’s Office
Logan County records also include complaints of misconduct from two people Grayson arrested. A woman reported Grayson after he gave her a glove and told her to remove contraband in front of him and another officer. She admitted to having drugs in a body cavity.
She was later taken to a hospital to have it removed and claimed that Grayson tore through the curtain during the procedure. He denied both claims and resigned from Logan County before the investigation was completed.
Another agency was concerned about his “showiness”
To be clear, Sean Grayson has held six police jobs in four years. An employment report from his former agency, Auburn, south of Springfield, touts his accomplishments. Grayson reportedly showed up early for work, was eager for training, receptive to criticism and had faced no disciplinary action.
However, he struggled to write reports, “wasn’t very good with evidence — he would leave items lying around the office,” and was “a braggart.”
Sonya Massey and her mother’s 911 calls the day she died
Sonya Massey died at her home about 200 miles south of Chicago after officers responded to her 911 call about a possible intruder on the morning of July 6.
Prosecutors alleged that after Grayson allowed Massey to move a pot of water heating on the stove and she placed it on a counter. Grayson then “shouted aggressively” to Massey over the pot and drew his 9mm pistol.
Massey then raised her hands, said, “I’m sorry,” and ducked for cover. But Grayson still managed to shoot her in the face. The officer also discouraged the other officer from reaching for his medical kit.
More recently, the calls Sonya and her mother made to 911 on the day of her death were released.
RELATED: Details revealed about the calls Sonya Massey and her mother made to Illinois police in the hours before her death (LISTEN)
Associated Press staffers John O’Connor, Lolita Baldor, Melissa Perez Winder and Ed White contributed to this report.
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