I know being a cop is hard. I know that shit’s dangerous. I know it is, okay? But some jobs can’t have bad apples. Some jobs, everybody gotta be good. Like … pilots. Ya know, American Airlines can’t be like, ‘Most of our pilots like to land. We just got a few bad apples that like to crash into mountains. Please bear with us.’ – Chris Rock
The First Ward has previously taken on some more than questionable Geneva Police hires.
Back in 2018 we discussed how officer/detective Sarah Sullivan got caught sleeping with various male officers – while on duty. As one source put it, “They had sex in patrol cars, they had sex in bars, they had sex in the station, go ahead and use your imagination.”
That came after the officer discharged her weapon at a Minnesota campground in what she claimed was “an effort to break up a fight.” Really? Apparently, she forgot she could dial 911 and let the local police handle it.
Despite carrying the kind of hefty baggage that’d get you fired from McDonalds, officer Sullivan continues to toil on behalf of the fine citizens of Geneva. Though perhaps being stuck with little old us is far worse than being cut loose. Ms. Sullivan won’t be moving on anytime soon because all it takes is a simple Google search to reveal her fascinating past.
On the bright side, the rookie male officer who let a DUI traffic stop slide after she said she’d sleep with him, was “allowed” to resign. Apparently, things went south rather rapidly for our would-be lothario after his quarry wanted a serious relationship and he did not.
But as bad as those two are, I’d take ‘em over suddenly infamous Sangamon County deputy Sean Grayson in a heartbeat.
Unless you’ve been living in Batavia, you already know Grayson has been charged with first degree murder in the shooting death of 35-year-old Sonya Massey, a black woman who called 911 to report a prowler.
When the obviously mentally ill Massey came at him with a pot of boiling water threatening to “rebuke” him in the name of “Jesus Christ,” instead of deescalating the situation, Grayson shouted, “You better fucking not, or I swear to God I’ll fucking shoot you in the fucking face.” Then, even though she appeared to relent, he did just that and simply walked away without rendering any form of aid.
Grayson is currently awaiting trial in the Sangamon County Jail.
Again, per Mr. Rock, it ain’t easy being a cop, but what consistently astonishes me is, despite 95 percent of the planet carrying a video recorder around in their right hand – and innumerable viral videos of white officers beating and murdering minorities – a plurality of officers persist in proceeding as if they’re somehow invisible.
They’re so hell bent on demanding unconditional obeisance from black and brown folks that they don’t begin to consider the consequences of their actions. Then they’re “shocked” when their careers are suddenly over.
But the far more egregious issue here is that Grayson shouldn’t have been hired by one law enforcement agency, much less six of them. When his obvious inability to handle the job became too much, he simply moved on to the next agency that hired him without question.
And we’re not talking about a minimum wage job here. Grayson was making 56 grand in his first year with the Sangamon Sheriff.
Despite being discharged from the army after two years for “serious” misconduct, and subsequently racking up 2014 and 2015 DUIs in Macoupin County, the Pawnee, Illinois, Police Department hired him on a part-time basis in August of 2020.
From there he moved to the Kincaid department, but after three short months he was fired for refusing to move within a 10-mile radius of the city. Grayson subsequently caught on with the Virden Police before finally landing a full-time job with the Auburn department from July 2021 to May 2022.
Inexplicably ignoring the DUI and job-hopping red flags, the Logan County Sheriff’s office hired him in May 2022. But that swiftly went south to the point where Chief Deputy Nathan Miller cited the following in a report on his deputy:
- Grayson required “extensive” training after refusing to obey superiors
- He needed more field training
- He needed additional traffic stop training
- He needed report writing training
- He needed high-stress decision making process classes,
- And he needed to read, discuss, and understand Logan County Sheriff’s Department policies.
“That’s all?”
But here’s the pièce de resistance! During a subsequent meeting with Grayson, Miller asked, “Seven months on. How are you still employed by us?” To which Grayson replied, “I don’t know.” But he continued to serve with Logan County Sheriff’s office for another five months before jumping ship to the Sangamon County Sheriff in May of 2023. A little over a year later Massey was dead.
Clinging to his job for dear life, Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell told the press that Grayson’s application was reviewed and certified by a Merit Commission adding:
He was also interviewed by more than one person. The Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board reviewed the information, which included the DUI convictions. ILETSB certified Grayson for hire and advised that he had been certified several times in the past despite the history of the DUIs. Grayson passed a drug test, criminal background check, and psychological evaluation and graduated from a 16-week training academy before serving as a Sangamon County Deputy.
It would certainly seem that, once one law enforcement agency hires you, it’s an automatic entry into the next regardless of how many “next ones” there are. Put more simply, the Illinois officer screening process is a complete joke.
The “psychological evaluations” are a total sham. Here are some example of actual test questions:
- I remain calm and composed even in stressful situations. (true or false)
- I tend to think before acting, even in fast-paced situations. (true or false)
- I believe it’s important to continually question and challenge my own biases. (true or false)
- I always strive to complete tasks on time. (strongly agree through strongly disagree)
- I am known for being empathetic and understanding (agree/disagree)
- I find it important to listen and understand others’ perspectives. (agree/disagree)
Even if you’re not as smart as a fifth grader and you can’t come up with the blitheringly obvious answer, there are innumerable websites that will provide it.
Considering the slew of real-world post-COVID challenges, graduating from a 16-week academy isn’t nearly enough to prepare anyone for the reality of policing. And those lazy rubber-stamp merit commissions have always been worthless. But that all pales in comparison to the stark reality that law enforcement agencies only resort to discipline as a last resort.
I’d be willing to bet five figures that our bed-hopping Geneva police officer has already caught on with another department.
It’s in this sad regard that I lay Massey’s death squarely at the feet of Logan County Sheriff Mark Landers.
Landers clearly was aware of his Deputy Chief’s abysmal review of Grayson’s performance, but he refused to fire him and he was thrilled to finally foist him off on Sangamon County. Though, considering what we’ve discussed here, there’s no guarantee, but had Grayson been terminated, that might’ve been the end of his law enforcement line.
That doesn’t mean I’m letting Sheriff Campbell off the hook. Far from it. If the press could come up with Deputy Chief Miller’s report, then his office certainly could’ve gotten their hands on it, too. And now Sangamon County is about to find out how expensive that lapse is going to be.
Here’s the bottom line. If an Illinois teacher with an average $43,000 starting salary requires a college degree – and most of them need a master’s degree to make real money – why should we expect no less from a law enforcement candidate who will be entrusted with making split second life-and-death decisions?
Given the time and financial commitment involved in earning a college degree, that kind of common-sense requirement would swiftly separate the wheat from the chaff. And Ms. Massey would still be alive.
