Deputy Sean Grayson's Troubled Past: Inappropriate Conduct, Retaliation, and Drunk Driving Convictions Raise Questions Before Sangamon County Shooting

Springfield, Illinois United States of America
Deputy Sean Grayson faces murder charges for killing Sonya Massey in Sangamon County, Illinois.
Grayson had a troubled past before joining the Sangamon County Sheriff's Department.
Grayson was discharged from the Army for two drunk driving convictions, one involving a weapon in his car.
He left Logan County Sheriff's Office after complaints were filed against him for inappropriate conduct and retaliation.
Recording obtained by ABC News reveals Grayson was questioned about mishandling a traffic case in 2022.
Deputy Sean Grayson's Troubled Past: Inappropriate Conduct, Retaliation, and Drunk Driving Convictions Raise Questions Before Sangamon County Shooting

In a series of shocking events, deputy Sean Grayson, who is currently facing murder charges for killing Sonya Massey in Sangamon County, Illinois, had a troubled past that raised questions about his integrity and conduct even before joining the Sangamon County Sheriff's Department. According to reports from Illinois Public Media and the Investigative Reporting Workshop, Grayson left Logan County Sheriff's Office after complaints were filed against him for inappropriate conduct with a female detainee and retaliation against her boyfriend.

Grayson reportedly told department officials that they had considered firing him. The exact nature of the misconduct was not disclosed, but it is clear that his behavior raised concerns at his previous place of employment.

Adding to the controversy surrounding Grayson's hiring, a recording obtained by ABC News reveals that Sangamon County Sheriff's Chief Deputy questioned him about mishandling a traffic case in 2022. The recording was made on July 30, 2024.

Despite the mounting evidence of Grayson's past misconduct, Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell did not resign following the shooting of Sonya Massey. Instead, he asked for forgiveness and declared that his department had failed the community in its handling of the situation.

Grayson was discharged from the Army for two drunk driving convictions, one of which involved having a weapon in his car. His military record should have raised questions when he was hired by Sangamon County Sheriff's Department in May 2023. Grayson had six jobs in four years before joining the Sangamon County Sheriff's Department, with the first three being part-time.

Grayson was charged with DUI twice within a year and received a general discharge under honorable conditions from the Army due to these charges. These convictions, along with his previous employment record, should have raised serious concerns when the Sangamon County Sheriff's Department hired him.

The tragic shooting of Sonya Massey has sparked national outcry and renewed calls for police reform. The Justice Department has opened a federal probe into her killing after chaotic body-worn camera footage was released to the public.


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Confidence

91%

Doubts
  • It is unclear if any other departments were aware of his past before hiring him by Sangamon County Sheriff's Department.
  • The exact nature of Grayson's misconduct at Logan County Sheriff's Office was not disclosed.

Sources

85%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Sheriff in charge of deputy who killed Sonya Massey declines to resign, asks for forgiveness

USA Today Steven Spearie, Monday, 29 July 2024 00:00
  • Unique Points
    • Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell asked for public forgiveness for failing to protect Sonya Massey during her 911 call
    • Sean Grayson ordered Massey to put down a pot of boiling water before shooting her in the face
    • Sonya Massey was killed on July 6, 2023 by deputy Sean Grayson
    • Massey’s death has sparked national outcry and renewed calls for police reform
    • Justice Department opened a federal probe into Massey’s killing after chaotic body-worn camera footage was released to the public
  • Accuracy
    • Sean Grayson, a Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy, has been charged with murder after responding to Massey’s 911 call about a possible intruder at her home and fatally shooting her
    • Sonya Massey was killed on July 6, 2023
    • Grayson ordered Massey to put down a pot of boiling water before shooting her in the face
  • Deception (50%)
    The article contains editorializing and emotional manipulation by the authors when they state 'We failed Sonya and the community.' and 'I ask your forgiveness.' These statements are not facts but rather expressions of sympathy and remorse from the sheriff. The authors also use sensational language when they describe Massey's death as a 'harrowing' case that has sparked 'national outcry' and renewed calls for police reform. Additionally, the article selectively reports details that support the authors' position by focusing on the sheriff's apology and community reaction without providing any context or information about Grayson or his actions leading up to the shooting.
    • harrowing details of the case
    • national outcry
    • renewed calls for police reform
    • We failed Sonya and the community.
    • I ask your forgiveness.
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The authors use inflammatory rhetoric by stating that the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey set Springfield, Ill. 'back 100 years.' This is an exaggeration and an appeal to emotion. They also use dichotomous depiction by describing Grayson's actions as 'harrowing details' and 'chaotic' without providing any context or evidence to support these claims.
    • Springfield, Ill. … An Illinois sheriff who hired the deputy charged with killing Sonya Massey in her own kitchen asked for the public’s forgiveness Monday, saying that the 36-year-old woman ‘called for help and we failed her.’… We failed Sonya and the community,' Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell told a packed hall of about 300 people at Union Baptist Church Monday night. ‘I ask your forgiveness.’
    • The fatal shooting of Massey set Springfield, Ill. back ‘100 years,’ a reference to the Springfield Race Riot of 1908 that gave rise to NAACP in 1909.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

98%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Video Audio reveals chief deputy scolding deputy involved in Sonya Massey police killing

ABC NEWS SITE NAMES Name: ABC News Site Names URL: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-officially-blames-iran_106834435 ABC News Tuesday, 30 July 2024 13:49
  • Unique Points
    • Chief deputy questioned former deputy Sean Grayson about mishandling of a traffic case in a 2022 recording.
    • The recording in question was made on July 30, 2024.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

98%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Deputy who killed Sonya Massey joined Sangamon County Sheriff after past employers questioned his integrity and conduct - IPM Newsroom

IPM Newsroom Farrah Anderson Friday, 26 July 2024 17:04
  • Unique Points
    • Sean Grayson left Logan County Sheriff's Office after complaints were filed against him for inappropriate conduct with a female detainee and retaliation against her boyfriend.
    • At least two formal complaints were filed about Grayson’s behavior at Logan County Sheriff's Office.
    • Grayson told department officials they had considered firing him.
  • Accuracy
    • Deputy Sean Grayson was discharged from the Army for two drunk driving convictions, one of which involved having a weapon in his car.
    • Sean Grayson told department officials they had considered firing him.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

90%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

With DUI-related ejection from Army, deputy who killed Massey should have raised flags, experts say

The Associated Press News Monday, 29 July 2024 16:39
  • Unique Points
    • Deputy Sean Grayson was discharged from the Army for two drunk driving convictions, one of which involved having a weapon in his car
    • Grayson's military record should have raised questions when he was hired by Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department in May 2023
    • Grayson had six jobs in four years before joining the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department, with the first three being part-time
    • Grayson was charged with DUI twice within a year and received a general discharge under honorable conditions from the Army due to these charges
  • Accuracy
    • Deputy Sean Grayson was discharged from the Army for two drunk driving convictions
    • Grayson had six jobs in four years before joining the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (80%)
    The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy when it quotes Chuck Wexler and Sean Smoot making statements about the hiring practices of law enforcement agencies. The article does not provide any evidence that these experts have conducted research specifically on the Sangamon County Sheriff's Department or Grayson's case, so their opinions are not definitive proof that Grayson should not have been hired.
    • ][Chuck Wexler]“six jobs in four years should have raised a red flag. And you would ask why he wasn’t hired full time in any of those (part-time) jobs.”
    • [Sean Smoot]“Some police departments would not have hired someone with one DUI,” “I am shocked an agency would hire someone with two DUIs, but multiple agencies apparently did.”
  • Bias (80%)
    The article does not explicitly demonstrate any bias from the author. However, there are instances where the author uses language that could be perceived as critical of law enforcement agencies for hiring an officer with a history of DUIs and questionable behavior. This criticism could be seen as reflecting a negative view towards law enforcement in general, which could be considered ideological bias.
    • I am shocked an agency would hire someone with two DUIs, but multiple agencies apparently did.
      • Multiple law enforcement agencies apparently hired Grayson despite his history of DUIs.
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication

      92%

      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

      Sheriff asks for forgiveness, declines to resign following Sonya Massey shooting

      www.sj-r.com Monday, 29 July 2024 00:00
      • Unique Points
        • Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell did not resign despite calls for his resignation following the shooting of Sonya Massey.
        • A Department of Justice Community Relations Service listening session was held to address community concerns and begin addressing systemic issues contributing to incidents like Massey’s death.
      • Accuracy
        • Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell asked for public forgiveness for failing to protect Sonya Massey during her 911 call
        • Sean Grayson ordered Massey to put down a pot of boiling water before shooting her in the face
      • Deception (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Fallacies (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Bias (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication