Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell stepping down in wake of Sonya Massey shooting
Campbell made the announcement in a statement released Friday afternoon.
“Some in our community want me to pay the price for that person’s actions, even threatening that I pay that price with my life, my family’s lives, or the lives of my Deputies,” Campbell said in the statement. “We will only persevere together as a community if we turn down the temperature and resolve to do better.”
Earlier this week, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker called on Campbell to resign over his handling of the fatal shooting, so the community can “begin to rebuild and restore trust between citizens and the sheriff’s department.”
Massey, 36, called 911 on July 6 to report a possible “prowler” at her home near Springfield, according to a court document filed by prosecutors. After two deputies went to the home to investigate, one of them, then-deputy Sean Grayson, shot and killed her following a dispute involving a pot of hot water, authorities said.
The encounter ended with Grayson shooting Massey in the head and failing to render aid. Massey’s family has said Sonya Massey struggled with mental health issues.
Grayson, the 30-year-old Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy who has since been fired from the agency, was indicted by a grand jury on July 17 on three counts of first-degree murder and one count each of aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct in connection with the shooting.
He has entered a not guilty plea and was denied pretrial release, according to court records.
In his statement, the sheriff emphasized: “The one person truly responsible for this act is in jail, and I believe justice will be served through the legal process.”
Campbell offered his condolences to the Massey family, and said he has worked “tirelessly to present all of the facts to the public.”
“I have committed to making changes to our standards and collaborating with other units of government on ways to prevent incidents like this in the future,” he continued.
“We must honor the life of Sonya Massey by ensuring that no one else falls victim to such tragic and senseless action,” Campbell said. “That has been my sincere mission since that fateful day. But it has become clear that the current political climate has made it nearly impossible for me to continue effectively in my role.”
Campbell said during a community meeting about the shooting at a church in Springfield late last month Massey “called for help and we failed.” At the meeting, Campbell asked for the community’s forgiveness and expressed his willingness to enforce change within the sheriff’s office.
“We did not do our jobs. We failed Sonya. We failed Sonya’s family and friends. We failed the community,” Campbell said at the meeting.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Us, as a community, need to support Sheriff Campbell during this challenging time to ensure we can move forward and rebuild trust. Following the community meeting, it's clear that we, as a community, should hold ourselves accountable and work together to prevent similar incidents in the future.
