Revealed: Deputy Accused of Killing Sonya Massey Was Discharged From Army for Serious Misconduct

The former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy charged with murder for the fatal shooting of 36-year-old Black woman Sonya Massey was kicked out of the U.S. Army for serious misconduct years earlier.

Military records show Sean Grayson, a 30-year-old white man, was discharged from the Fort Riley Army installation in Kansas, where he served as a wheeled vehicle mechanic from May 2014 to February 2016, for “Misconduct (Serious Offense)”, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

An Army spokesperson refused to give more details, saying, “The Privacy Act and (Department of Defense) policy prevent us from releasing information relating to the misconduct of low-level employees or characterization of service at discharge.”

Anthony Ghiotto, a former Air Force prosecutor who now teaches law at the University of Illinois, said that kind of discharge suggests Grayson likely committed an offense that would have landed a civilian in jail for at least a year but was not court-martialed.

He told The Intercept: “A good way of looking at it is, if it would be a misdemeanor in the civilian world, it’s not going to be a ‘serious offense’.” Offenses that can lead to a finding of misconduct include drug abuse, sexual assault and going AWOL, or “absent without official leave”.

While Grayson’s lawyer claimed he was honorably discharged, he actually received a “general” discharge under “honorable conditions”, which means some but not all of his service was honorable and he was “kicked out” before his regular term of enlistment was up.

Ghiotto argued Grayson’s military record should have been a “red flag” for police departments, saying: “I’m very concerned about any law enforcement office hiring somebody who is discharged for serious offense misconduct with a general discharge. I wouldn’t hire a research assistant if they have that on their record, let alone a police officer.”

Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell said in a statement his office “understood that the serious misconduct referenced in these documents was a DUI. We were aware of the DUI at the time of hire”.

With his application, Grayson submitted a reference letter from his commanding officer in the Army stating: “Aside from Mr. Grayson’s DUI, there were no other issues that he had during his tenure in the Army.”

He did receive two DUI convictions in Macoupin County in 2015 and 2016, one while he was still on active duty and one after he was discharged – but Ghiotto said it’s extremely unlikely that a misdemeanor DUI conviction would account for the serious misconduct finding by the Army.

Have a tip? Send it to us! Email RadarOnline.com at tips@radaronline.com.

Grayson has been fired by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office and indicted by a grand jury for his role in the shooting death of Massey, who called the police to report a suspected intruder at her home in Springfield, Illinois.

Body-cam footage shows that Grayson shot Massey three times after asking her to drop a pot of boiling water she was holding. Before he fired, she ducked with her hands up and said “I’m sorry”. Grayson also discouraged another deputy from providing medical aid.

In a statement, Campbell wrote: “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. He will now face judgment by the criminal justice system and will never again work in law enforcement.”

The Department of Justice has also opened an investigation into the incident, and President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have both issued statements supporting the Massey family and calling for further police reform.