Sonya Massey's family pushes for new legislation to make changes to SAFE-T Act
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WLS) -- The family of Sonya Massey and their attorney spoke Wednesday on new legislation they hope to pass and about the sudden retirement of Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell.
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Campbell had faced calls to resign from many in the community as well as Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. After initially saying he keep his position, Campbell announced he would retire by the end of the month last Friday.
RELATED | Sangamon County sheriff says he's retiring at end of August, cites Sonya Massey murder blowback
On Wednesday, Massey's family and their attorney Ben Crump spoke in Springfield.
Attorneys said the new legislation in Massey's name would "fix" the flaws left in the SAFE-T Act.
Attorneys proposed a national database that would have information about officers that have DUI convictions, that have used excessive force, etcetera.
If passed, the proposed legislation would also request a "waiting period" for officers changing departments to ensure that a full background check has been completed.
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Former Sangamon County Deputy Sean Grayson shot and killed Massey inside her Springfield home in July after Massey called 911 to report a possible intruder.
Sean Grayson, the 30-year-old Sangamon County sheriff's deputy who has since been fired from the agency, was indicted by a grand jury on three counts of first-degree murder and one count each of aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct in connection with the July 6 shooting at Massey's home near Springfield.
Grayson has held six different jobs in law enforcement since 2020. He also had two DUIs on his record before entering law enforcement.
RELATED: Sonya Massey, mom called 911 multiple times in days before her death
In an interview with ABC News, Campbell said Grayson's background did not strike him as a red flag.
"The fact that multiple agencies is a plus the way we look at it, he was not fired from any of them," Campbell said at the time.
