* Nexstar Illinois Capitol Bureau Chief…
…Adding… The grievance was filed by the FOP Labor Council, not, as posted in that tweet, the ILFOP.
* They’re calling for Grayson’s full reinstatement and back pay…
The grievance was terminated without just cause. Further, the employer publicly disseminated details of the investigation and termination on Facebook, in violation of the CBA and prior to giving the grievance or his representatives notice of the decision to terminate.
Remedy Sought: Reinstatement and reimbursement of all lost wages, restoration of all lost benefits, and any other appropriate relief.
That Facebook post is here.
* Sonya Massey’s autopsy was released today. A.P.…
Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon had previously disclosed initial findings on Massey’s July 6 death in Springfield and the full autopsy report released Friday confirmed those conclusions, including that her death was a homicide.
The report states that in addition to the bullet striking her just beneath her left eye, Massey had “minor blunt force injuries” to her right leg and she weighed 112 pounds.
The autopsy findings were released shortly before civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Massey’s family, was scheduled to hold a news conference in Springfield.
* WAND reporter…
* Invisible Institute and Investigative Reporting Workshop…
Invisible Institute, Illinois Public Media and the Investigative Reporting Workshop obtained new records from the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, where Grayson worked for 11 months prior to Sangamon County, that show department officials concluded Grayson ignored internal policies during a high-speed chase, fielded at least two formal complaints about his behavior and told him directly that they had considered firing him.
These records also include audio recordings from a November 2022 interview between Grayson and Logan County’s chief deputy which suggest the department — as well as other police departments that had employed him — were previously aware of issues with his performance and integrity as an officer.
Grayson’s relatively short law enforcement career, during which he moved between six Central Illinois police departments in just four years, has come under scrutiny in the weeks since he shot and killed Sonya Massey on July 6, 2024. […]
By the time he applied to be a deputy at the Logan County Sheriff’s Office in March 2022, Grayson had four different policing jobs across Central Illinois — three part-time gigs and one full time post. “My communication, people-centric nature, and compassion have afforded me excellent critical thinking skills,” Grayson wrote in his application.
But when Logan County officials called his current employer, the Auburn Police Department, they received mixed reviews. Auburn Police Chief Dave Campbell said that, while Grayson was an eager officer who showed up for his shifts early and had never been disciplined, he struggled with report writing and had raised concerns that he was “too aggressive.”
* Sangamon County’s response…
* SJ-R…
An official fundraiser has been set up for the family of Sonya Massey after she was fatally shot by a now former Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy on July 6.
Massey’s father, James Wilburn, set up a GoFundMe page for the family. The family is asking for $100,000 to cover mental health counseling, supporting for the family, travel costs and household support as the family works to pursue justice for Sonya, according to the page.
“Sonya is remembered as caring and loving mother to her two children, a 17-year-old son and a 15-year-old daughter,” the family wrote on the donation page. “Sonya loved cooking, doing hair, nurturing her children, and spending time with her family. She was also a devoted church member.”
As of Thursday afternoon, the fundraiser had reached about $4,000.
…Adding… WCIA…
WCIA reached out to the police union for comment about the grievance.
“As a labor organization, we have an obligation to protect our members procedural, and due process rights contained in the collective bargaining agreement,” The Illinois FOP said in a statement. “Those rights come with very strict timelines.”
