ST. LOUIS — Since the deadly shooting of Sonya Massey, the I-Team has been poring over personnel records of the deputy who pulled the trigger, looking into how that deputy’s track record has major red flags and scrutinizing how he continued to be employed.
The records show that years before former Sangamon County Sheriff's Deputy Sean Grayson shot Sonya Massey to death at her home, he had a series of disciplinary concerns. They were potential warning signs that did not stop him from getting hired by six Illinois agencies in four years.
Dashcam video shows the moment Grayson hit a deer while working at the Logan County Sheriff’s Office in September 2022.
“Well my car is out of service, airbags deployed," Grayson said at the time.
It happened when he failed to slow down despite his boss calling off a vehicle pursuit. He was driving around 110 miles an hour.
“It's a dumb mistake," he later told supervisors.
Disciplinary records obtained by the I-Team reveal Grayson had a pattern of problems, from inaccurate reports to simply not following directions.
“Official misconduct will land you in jail... I'm calling you on your integrity," said Nate Miller, Logan County Sheriff's Office chief deputy, following the incident.
He later told Grayson about the potential impact of not following protocols. "It will get you sued. And it will get you out of your business of law enforcement very quickly in today's world," he said.
His earlier bosses had expressed concerns Grayson was “too aggressive” and a “bragger.” Yet he stayed on the job.
“How are you still employed by us?” asked a supervisor.
“I don't know," replied Grayson.
Grayson finally submitted a letter of resignation from the Logan County Sheriff’s Office. He resigned April 5, 2023.
A month later, records show he joined the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office. And about one year later, he was charged in the shooting death of Sonya Massey. Massey was shot dead on July 6.
Grayson was also kicked out of the Army for his first of two drunken driving convictions. The I-Team is fighting for answers about what’s being done to prevent officers with warning signs from slipping through the cracks. Police sources tell us the dire need for officers doesn’t help.
5 On Your Side reached out to Sean Grayson’s attorney, Daniel Fultz, who said, “I’m not interested in commenting.”