After weeks of pressure from many including Governor J.B. Pritzker, the Sangamon County Sheriff has announced he will be stepping down by month’s end.
Sheriff Jack Campbell said in a statement released this afternoon, that he will retire from the post “effective no later than August 31st.”
Campbell has remained under pressure to leave office in the wake of the death of 36-year-old Sonya Massey, who was shot and killed by a Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy in her home on July 6th, after she had called 911 about a possible prowler outside.
30-year-old Sean Grayson, the deputy who was seen on body camera footage shooting Massey, was promptly fired from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office and has since been charged with three counts of first-degree murder.
The announcement by Campbell to retire comes after five Democratic members of the Sangamon County Board have been pushing for an advisory referendum on the November General Election ballot to give the county’s voters a chance to weigh in on his future.
At a bill signing in Chicago on Monday, Governor J.B. Pritzker at first side-stepped calling on Campbell’s resignation but admitted there remained too many questions about Grayson’s hiring, saying that the Sheriff’s Office “had to have known” about the now-fired deputy’s background.
Campbell, a Republican, has been the Sangamon County Sheriff since 2018 and won re-election to the post in 2022. The next countywide election for sheriff is scheduled for 2026.
In the announcement, Campbell says “The tragic death of Sonya Massey has been a heartbreaking event for our community. My deepest condolences go out to her family and friends.’
He goes on to say in the release that he has committed to being transparent and making changes to his office’s standards to prevent incidents like this in the future. But despite his efforts, some in the community want him to pay the price for Grayson’s actions that even included threats to his life, as well as those of his family and deputies.
Campbell says as elected leaders, they must always put the overall good of the community above themselves and he will not risk the community that he swore to protect, so for that reason, he will retire as Sangamon County Sheriff by the end of this month.
Campbell’s full statement reads as follows:
Statement from Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell
I was first elected Sheriff in 2018. I embraced that role, to lead SCSO, but I always saw myself as a cop, not a politician. And for over thirty years, my career has been dedicated to improving and protecting our community. As Sheriff, I have committed my life to advancing our capabilities and effectiveness, implementing new policies and practices to ensure we serve the community with the highest standards of integrity and professionalism. All this was done with the idea of creating a safer Sangamon County.
The tragic death of Sonya Massey has been a heartbreaking event for our community. My deepest condolences go out to her family and friends. Since the incident, I have been proactive and transparent, working tirelessly to present all of the facts to the public. I have committed to making changes to our standards and collaborating with other units of government on ways to prevent incidents like this in the future. The one person truly responsible for this act is in jail, and I believe justice will be served through the legal process.
Despite these efforts, some in our community want me to pay the price for that person’s actions, even threatening that I pay that price with my life, my family’s lives, or the lives of my Deputies. We will only persevere together as a community if we turn down the temperature and resolve to do better. We must honor the life of Sonya Massey by ensuring that no one else falls victim to such tragic and senseless action. That has been my sincere mission since that fateful day. But it has become clear that the current political climate has made it nearly impossible for me to continue effectively in my role. Some individuals would rather see our community divided and in turmoil, than allow me to continue serving as Sheriff. The health of me and my family, the Sheriff’s Office, and our community has to be my priority.
As elected leaders, we must always put the overall good of the community above ourselves; and I will not risk the community that I swore to protect. For this reason, I am announcing my retirement as Sheriff of Sangamon County, effective no later than August 31st.
While it is painful to say goodbye, I do so knowing I have fulfilled my duties and served to the best of my ability. I want to express my deepest gratitude to the citizens who have supported me throughout the years. I am forever grateful for the opportunity I had, for the people I met and for this Office that I love.
Jack