Deputy who killed Sonya Massey was removed from the Army, had DUIs and needed ‘high stress decision’ classes, records show

By Holly Yan, Bill Kirkos, Amanda Musa and Andy Rose, CNN

(CNN) — Years before sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson gunned down Sonya Massey in her own home, he had been discharged from the Army for serious misconduct and had a history of driving under the influence, records show.

He also failed to obey a command while working for another sheriff’s office in Illinois and was told he needed “high stress decision making classes,” the agency’s documents reveal.

Grayson, who was a Sangamon County, Illinois, sheriff’s deputy before he was fired and charged with murder, responded to a report of a prowler at Massey’s home July 6. Bodycam footage from another deputy showed Massey saying she rebuked Grayson, and Grayson responded by threatening the 36-year-old. The exchange ended with Grayson shooting Massey and failing to render aid.

Massey’s death stirred memories of other Black women killed by police in their homes in recent years, including Breonna Taylor and Atatiana Jefferson.

Massey’s autopsy report, which was publicly released Friday, said she was killed by a gunshot wound to her head.

Her family’s attorney emphasized the angle at which the deputy shot Massey.

Massey “was shot beneath her eye, and the bullet (exited) at the back of her neck, under her ear,” civil rights attorney Ben Crump told CNN. “What it tells us is that he shot her in a downward trajectory.”

Grayson’s attorney Daniel Fultz declined to comment.

Grayson, 30, was indicted by a grand jury on three counts of first-degree murder and one count each of aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct. He has pleaded not guilty and was denied pretrial release, according to court records.

Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell fired Grayson after Massey’s death, saying in a statement, “Sonya Massey lost her life due to an unjustifiable and reckless decision by former Deputy Sean Grayson.”

“Grayson had other options available that he should have used. His actions were inexcusable and do not reflect the values or training of our office.”

In a separate statement, Campbell said no law enforcement agencies had reported problems with Grayson prior to his being hired in Sangamon County, though prior employers had commented he “needed more training.” Grayson received 16 weeks of academy training after being hired, Campbell said.

“This is not unusual for deputies with Grayson’s experience, and is standard procedure for Sangamon County deputies,” Campbell’s statement said. He also said Grayson’s personnel file included “references from people I know well,” adding those “insights are invaluable in making informed hiring decisions.”

As more details emerge about Grayson’s DUIs and previously documented incidents from the military and law enforcement, Massey’s family members are tormented.

They have one nagging question, their attorney Crump said: “Why was he even on the sheriff’s department in the first place?”

The Army discharged him after a serious offense, personnel file says

Grayson had been discharged from the US Army in 2016 due to “misconduct (serious offense),” according to a Department of Defense document included in Grayson’s personnel file during his time at the Kincaid Police Department in Illinois. The personnel file was obtained by CNN affiliate KSHB.

The document says Grayson was separated from the Army under a general discharge after he served as a private first class at Fort Riley in Kansas. The file did not detail the alleged misconduct.

CNN asked the Army for more details. In response, Army spokesperson Bryce Dubee wrote: “Sean P. Grayson was a 91B (Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic) in the Regular Army from May 2014 to February 2016. He had no deployments and left the Army in the rank of private first class.”

Grayson pleaded guilty to 2 DUIs before working at law enforcement agencies

Court records show Grayson was charged with two DUI misdemeanor offenses in Illinois’ Macoupin County – one in 2015 and the other in 2016.

The first incident occurred in August 2015. Grayson’s vehicle was impounded after he was charged with driving under the influence. He pleaded guilty and paid more than $1,320 in fines, according to court records.

In July 2016, Grayson was charged with another DUI. He pleaded guilty and paid more than $2,400 in fines, court records show.

Grayson acknowledged his DUI charges when he applied to be an officer at Auburn Police Department in Illinois in 2021. He worked there from July 2021 to May 2022, and CNN’s review of Grayson’s records there did not reveal any major problems or disciplinary issues.

In May 2022, Grayson started working at the Logan County Sheriff’s Office in Illinois, records show. He wrote the sheriff a brief letter detailing his “terrible decision to drink and drive.”

Grayson’s letter also said he lost his driving privileges for one year after pleading guilty to his second DUI, in 2016.

A background check was performed prior to Grayson’s hiring in Sangamon County, Campbell said. Prior DUI convictions “are not disqualifying criteria for a deputy.”

He needed to take ‘high stress decision making classes,’ one agency recommended

Grayson had worked at six Illinois law enforcement agencies since 2020, records show. He started working part-time with Pawnee police in August 2020, followed by the Kincaid and Virden police departments. Then he started working full-time with Auburn police, the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, and finally the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office in May 2023.

A review of his employment records from the Auburn Police Department indicates why Grayson said he left previous positions. In some cases, he wanted to work full-time but could only get part-time hours. In another case, he said he didn’t want to move.

Grayson was on the Kincaid police force for only three months before he was let go “because he refused to live within a 10-mile radius,” KSHB reported.

While Grayson did not appear to have any disciplinary issues while he was an Auburn police officer, records from the Logan County Sheriff’s Office said he needed to take “high stress decision making classes.” The recommendation came after Grayson failed to slow down after his boss called off a vehicle pursuit. Grayson was driving about 110 mph before striking a deer, the records say.

“Deputy Grayson pursued the truck through Lincoln at a high rate of speed, reaching speeds of 63/30 MPH zone and, in my opinion, failed to show due caution while driving through stop intersections,” a Logan County chief deputy wrote in the file.

Grayson’s supervisor “terminated the pursuit,” and Grayson turned off his emergency lights, the report states. But Grayson “continued at a high rate of speed (110/55 mph zone) prior to striking the deer.”

Audio recordings that appear to coincide with Logan County’s internal review into the incident capture the chief deputy admonishing Grayson for describing it inaccurately in his report despite previous orders to check for accuracy.

“If we can’t trust what you say and what you see, we can’t have you in our uniform,” the chief deputy told Grayson.

“I’m getting goosebumps. This is extremely concerning,” the chief deputy said later. “Everybody likes you. I gotta be able to trust you. Was this a purposefully done lie?”

“No,” Grayson responded.

“Deputy Grayson acknowledged he lacks experience,” the report said. It also listed a series of recommendations, including “additional traffic stop training, report writing training, high stress decision making classes, and needs to read, understand and discuss issued Logan County Sheriff’s Office Policy.”

It was not immediately clear if Grayson followed through with those recommendations. He resigned from the Logan County Sheriff’s Office in April 2023. The next month, he joined the sheriff’s office in Sangamon County – where he would later have the fatal encounter with Massey.

‘He had no regard for my mom’

Massey’s 17-year-old son, Malachi, must now live the rest of his life without his mother.

He said his mom was a “ball of energy” who always reminded him to read his Bible.

“She’s the person who taught me how to love,” Malachi told CNN.

The teen said he’s so grief-stricken by his mother’s death that he can’t describe the pain.

“I really don’t have words,” he said. “I feel sick.”

Bodycam footage from the night of his mother’s death initially showed a calm encounter between Massey, Grayson and another deputy.

When the deputies were inside the home speaking with Massey, they noted a pot of boiling water on the lit stove. Massey got up and went to the kitchen to turn off the heat and take the pot off the stove.

“We don’t need a fire while we’re here,” one deputy said.

When Massey picked up the pot, the other deputy stepped back – “away from your hot steaming water,” he said.

“I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” Massey replied.

“Huh?” the deputy responded.

“I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” Massey said.

“You better f**king not,” Grayson replied, “or I swear to God I’ll f**king shoot you in the f**king face.”

Grayson then drew his gun and pointed it at Massey. She ducked and said, “I’m sorry” while lifting the pot, the video shows.

“Drop the f**king pot!” both deputies yelled. Then three shots are heard.

After Massey was mortally wounded, the other deputy said he was going to get a medical kit to help. Grayson replied: “Nah, she’s done. You can go get it, but that’s a headshot.”

Later, Grayson spoke to a group of law enforcement officers outside. “Yeah, I’m good,” he said on the bodycam footage. “This f**king b*tch is crazy.”

Massey’s son said he wants Grayson locked up behind bars for as long as possible.

“He had no regard for my mom,” Malachi said. “So we need to have no regard for him.”

CNN’s Brad Parks, Natasha Bertrand, Emma Tucker and Eric Levenson contributed to this report.

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