Sheriff Campbell planning policy changes after deputy shooting of Sonya Massey
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell is implementing reforms to his hiring practices after firing former Deputy Sean Grayson after he was charged with first degree murder for killing Sonya Massey.
In an interview with WCIA Thursday, Campbell did not go into specifics, as he said he is finalizing the details with his commission of community representatives, but plans for both short-term and long-term changes.
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While red flags for Grayson, including a series of incidents from his tenure at the Logan County Sheriff’s Office have popped up after Massey’s death, Sangamon County officials did not find anything disqualifying when he applied.
“There is absolutely nothing in his background that would decertify him from working in law enforcement,” Campbell said. “The State of Illinois, the State Standards Board had certified him six times over and over and over again to continue working with law enforcement. There was nothing that we could have predicted.”
Campbell said he did not know of any of Grayson’s history while working in Logan County.
“We rely on professional courtesy that when we call and we ask questions about a potential applicant, that they’re truthful with us,” Campbell said. “And you can get us any any documents that would help us decide whether or not you should be employed here or not. Unfortunately, we did not receive those from Logan County.”
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