Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell stepping down in wake of Sonya Massey shooting

CNN — Less than a month after one of his deputies was indicted by a grand jury on charges of first-degree murder in the shooting of Sonya Massey, Jack Campbell, the sheriff of Sangamon County, Illinois, announced he will retire by the end of the month. The governor released a statement Friday evening, saying he “hopes a fresh start with new leadership will usher in a new era of reform and rebuild the trust lost between the Sangamon County community and the Sheriff’s Office.” Massey called 911 on July 6 to report a possible “prowler” at her home near Springfield, according to a court document filed by prosecutors. Although the pain of her loss is still fresh, Sonya’s family is willing to work with the outgoing sheriff for the remainder of his tenure to help heal the community and achieve full justice for Sonya.” “The Massey family also hopes to work with Sangamon County’s next sheriff to examine how this tragedy happened and to ensure that a tragedy like this never happens again in this community,” Crump said. ‘We failed Sonya,’ sheriff told community Campbell previously said calls for his resignation “are nothing more than political maneuvering during a tragic event and only hurt the good citizens of Sangamon County. The Logan County Sheriff’s Office recommended he take “high stress decision making classes.” His psychological evaluation for employment at the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office noted that Grayson “knows he can move too fast at times” and that “he needs to slow down to make good decisions,” but ultimately concluded that “overall, he appears to be a suitable fit for the position.” Massey’s family and their lawyers have called for the county to investigate the decision to hire him, voicing concerns about his arrest record and his working for six departments in four years.