Everything We Know About Former Deputy Sean Grayson

A piece of paper in Sean P. Grayson’s personnel file, obtained by The State Journal-Register, part of the USA TODAY Network, stated that he had been discharged from the military for “misconduct (serious offense).”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A former Illinois sheriff’s deputy charged with murder for shooting a woman in the face in her home was the subject of two drunken driving charges, one while he was serving in the U.S. Army, records show.

A piece of paper in Sean P. Grayson’s personnel file, obtained by The State Journal-Register, part of the USA TODAY Network, through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, listed “misconduct (serious offense)” as the reason for his Feb. 27, 2016, departure from the Army. An online report of the Aug. 10, 2015, DUI in Girard, Illinois, about 40 minutes southwest of Springfield, listed Grayson’s address as Fort Junction, Kansas.

Grayson was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, among other places.

Grayson’s former sergeant wrote the following in a letter of recommendation for him to the Auburn Police Department: “Other than Mr. Grayson’s driving under the influence of drugs, he had no other problems during his service in the United States Army.”

Grayson faces five charges in connection with the July 6 fatal shooting in which Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman, was shot in the face in her home in an unincorporated section of Woodside Township after she called 911.

The chaotic and at times gruesome video, made public on Monday, has sparked international outrage. President Joe Biden spoke out earlier this week about the release of the footage, saying: “Sonya’s family deserves justice.”

In a press conference earlier this week, civil rights attorney Ben Crump said the Justice Department has launched an investigation

Grayson Pleaded Guilty in 2 DUI Cases

Grayson, 30, who lived in Riverton, pleaded not guilty Thursday and remains in custody. He was fired from the department last Wednesday by Sheriff Jack Campbell after being indicted by a Sangamon County grand jury.

Jeff Wilhite, a spokesman for Sangamon County, said the sheriff’s office was aware of both DUIs. The second DUI, also in Girard, occurred on July 26, 2016. Grayson has pleaded guilty in both cases.

Campbell said in a statement emailed Wednesday afternoon that the sheriff’s office “understood that the serious misconduct referenced in Grayson’s personnel file involved a driving under the influence.”

When asked on his Auburn Police Department application if he had ever been “convicted, charged, or (currently) pending trial for a crime greater than a minor traffic violation, including driving under the influence,” he replied, “No, I have only been arrested and charged for driving under the influence.”

According to his personnel file and the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, Grayson’s first job as a police officer, on a part-time basis, was in August 2020 in Pawnee.

Grayson was also working part-time at the Kincaid Police Department at the same time. But in his filing, he said he left after three and a half months because his hours were cut and he didn’t want to move closer to the Christian County community, a requirement of his job.

Grayson joined the Virden Police Department in May 2021 and stayed until the end of the year. He left Pawnee in July 2021 to go to Auburn full-time.

No reprimands were found in the personnel file.

Massey’s father critical of Grayson’s appointment

Grayson joined the Logan County Sheriff’s Office in May 2022 before being hired by Sangamon County a year later. According to Wilhite, Grayson had “no use-of-force complaints or citizen complaints” while employed by Sangamon County, nor in previous police stops.

The Government Gazette is looking for additional employment data.

James Wilburn, Massey’s father, has criticized the sheriff’s appointment of Grayson, saying they should have known about his past “if they were going to do any investigation.”

Wilburn has also called on Campbell, who has been sheriff since 2018, to resign.

Contact Steven Spearie at [email protected] or at X @StevenSpearie