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Sean Grayson, a former Sangamon County, Illinois deputy charged in the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, had a checkered work history before the police killing, per NBC News.
Before working in law enforcement, Grayson was a wheeled vehicle mechanic in the Army from May 2014 to February 2016. Grayson pleaded guilty twice to driving under the influence of alcohol while he was enlisted in the Army.
Army paperwork shows he was discharged for "misconduct (serious offense)."
Grayson went on to work for the Logan County, Illinois Sheriff's Office from May 2022 to April 2023. In his application for the job, Grayson disclosed the DUIs and admitted that he had abused alcohol in the Army.
During his time at Logan County, Grayson was accused of violating a woman during an arrest and harassing her fiance during a jail visit, both of which he denied. He was also disciplined for hitting a deer with a police car during a chase that violated department policy.
According to records obtained by NBC News, Grayson left the Logan County Sheriff's Department in "good standing" before becoming a deputy in Sangamon County.
Grayson is currently facing first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct charges in Massey’s death. Video shows Grayson pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot Massey, who had called 911 about a potential intruder, after she grabbed a pot of hot water off of her stove. Massey ducked behind her kitchen counter before Grayson shot her in the face.
In a statement on Thursday (July 25), attorney Ben Crump called out Grayson's checkered past, saying it was "appalling" that the former deputy was allowed to work in law enforcement.
“It makes me wonder if he had any kind of drugs or alcohol in his system the night he killed Sonya Massey,” Crump said. “And obviously, it begs the question, how did he even get a job as a sheriff’s deputy with his checkered past?”
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