#Sangamon

[oh-bother-stickers]

[sangcounty]

Home sweet home

Love in the Prairie State

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Phillip Jackson at HuffPost:

The sheriff of Sangamon County retired abruptly Friday, only weeks after one of his deputies fatally shot Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman who was unarmed.

Jack Campbell said in a statement Friday afternoon, “The tragic death of Sonya Massey has been a heartbreaking event for our community.” He did not accept any blame for what had happened, but said, “Some individuals would rather see our community divided and in turmoil, than allow me to continue serving as Sheriff.” Sean Grayson, the deputy in the case, is facing first-degree murder charges. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) called for Campbell’s resignation earlier this week after Massey’s family had done so following the shooting. Grayson shot and killed Massey on July 6 inside her home. He and another deputy arrived at her residence after an emergency call about a possible prowler outside.

Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell resigns in the wake of Sean Grayson’s killing of Sonya Massey.

About time it happened.

[queersatanic]

She deserved better than this

In 2019, Ta'naja Barnes, a 2-year-old girl, was neglected and abused by her mother and mother's boyfriend, and died as a result.

In 2020, while transporting her urn, Springfield police pulled over the father, and tested Ta'naja's ashes, claiming they tested positive for drugs.

You may remember this story when it broke in 2021 because the video was heart-wrenching:

However, today Judge Lawless just dismissed all the claims and terminated the case in federal court as part of a summary judgment.

(That's not an insult or mean pun, by the way. That's her name: Colleen R. Lawless.)

V. CONCLUSION Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment is GRANTED. Counts I, II, and III are dismissed with prejudice. Counts IV, V, VI, and VII are dismissed without prejudice. The Clerk will enter Judgment and terminate this case.

Dartavius Barnes, meanwhile, was indicted on a charge of "aggravated battery of a peace officer" for something that happened April 2022:

He pleaded down to "obstructing a peace officer" a couple weeks ago in Sangamon County, Ill., Case No. 2022-CF-000559

Someone else will have to actually analyze the federal judge's ruling to see how much sense it makes on its own merits.

But what a shit fucking country, regardless.

Cops can't protect a helpless child being abused in her home. All they can do is hassle her grieving father, desecrate her remains, and be sure to fuck with his life afterward if he has a problem with it.

And the courts say these thugs have no responsibility to help anyone, or responsibilities after they've hurt someone.

And every politician of every stripe falls over themselves to throw more money at cops, try to hire more of them, and make them less accountable to anyone else.

What a shit fucking country for anyone to have the misfortune to be born into.

[nando161mando]

[Sangamon County, USA]

Sonya Massey called the police regarding a prowler.

They came over and murdered her.

They tried to cover it up, saying she was attacking them with a pot of hot water.

Deputy Sean P. Grayson was unaware that his partner had turned his camera back on.

This isn't bad apples. This is police.

The full video, in which you listen to him begin to coach the narrative they'd report. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFun2GydGyU

[mutenostrilagony]

I always knew one of these days one of these tragic stories of murders by a cop, or a school shooting of some sort, would happen in my city. tragedy can only evade us for so long no matter how many fingers we cross.

I just couldn’t expect this one could be so fucking barbaric. I’ve shed tears multiple times throughout today just thinking about Sonya and that horrid bodycam footage.

“Why would we hurt you? You’re the one who called us.”

“I love you.” “I’m sorry.”

“That bitch was crazy.”

I’ve met some soulless fuckers in my time but the savagery of that piece of shit was mind boggling. What did he expect to happen? His coworkers to let him off Scott feee?

Seeing as he’d switched between six different police departments since 2020 he probably assumed this wasn’t anything either. Sonya wouldn’t matter.

I’ve been thinking about the few times cops had to come take my mother, intoxicated from a suicide attempt, bloodied from punching walls, spitting on me and telling me she fucking hated me while being 5150ed and taken by officers and ems. Her being murdered for her mental illness never crossed my mind. What a privilege.

I’m just sick to my stomach over this. Say her name, scream it from the rooftops. She deserved so much more

[jaggedplains]

abandoned, sangamon co., illinois

[radicalgraff]

Freight graffiti for Sonya Massey.

On July 6, 2024, Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old African-American woman, was murdered in her home by deputy Sean Grayson of the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office in Woodside Township near Springfield, Illinois.

[vintage-every-day]

Sangamon and 14th St, Chicago in 1949. © Charles W. Cushman.

[sangcounty]

JUSTICE FOR SONYA MASSEY

SAY HER NAME

To Deputy Sean Grayson:

Rot.

ACAB

[justinspoliticalcorner]

AP, via Chicago Sun-Times:

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. J.B. Pritzker called Wednesday for the resignation of the sheriff whose deputy fatally wounded Sonya Massey in her home last month after the Black woman called 911 for help. Pritzker said Jack Campbell should step down because “the sheriff has failed.” Sean Grayson, 30, faces three counts of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct in the July 6 shooting death of Massey, 36. Campbell, who hired Grayson for the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department in May 2023, reiterated his intent Wednesday to stay on the job.

“He has failed to explain how he ended up hiring this deputy sheriff who has been fired from other departments,” Pritzker said of Campbell at an event in Chicago. “He failed to put forward reforms that clearly need to be made, training and other reforms, and still has failed to meet with the Massey family.” There is no evidence Grayson was fired from any previous job. Pritzker did not elaborate on what “training and other reforms” Campbell should have implemented since the killing. Grayson has come under scrutiny because — before becoming a law enforcement officer — he was kicked out of the Army a decade ago for the first of two drunken driving arrests within a year. His law enforcement career included six jobs in four years, during which he received reviews indicating he needed more training and had one disciplinary problem.

Grayson was fired on July 17 for violating use-of-force standards by shooting Massey rather than taking nonlethal action when he said he felt threatened by a pan of hot water she was holding in another room, according to authorities.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) is correct to call for the resignation of the Sangamon County Sheriff over his handling of the police killing of Sonya Massey.

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

When a reporter asked if Sheriff Jack Campbell, who hired Grayson in May 2023, should resign, Crump said that was up "to the electorate of Sangamon County."

But Massey's father, James Wilburn, sitting in the front row after speaking earlier, popped up and "Yes. A hundred times, yes. He should do it in the next 12 hours."

[black2infinity]

Personnel files, obtained by NBC News, reveal troubling details about Sean Grayson's work history before he fatally shot Sonya Massey. Grayson admitted to past alcohol abuse and faced multiple complaints and disciplinary actions. How did he get hired in Sangamon County, IL?

[nflstreet]

[i-find-reliable-sources]

Sonya Massey Should Still Be Alive

The article includes, but does not auto-play, the body-cam footage of Sonya Massey's by Sean Greyson.

Sean Grayson has been charged with Sonya Massey's murder and is currently being held without bond. According to the Illinois Times, Grayson has worked in 6 different police departments and Sheriff's Officies since 2021, including the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office, from which he was fired following Sandra Massey's murder. He has also been convicted of DUI twice.

[railwayhistorical]

F3s on the Alton

Here we see a northbound train on the historical Chicago & Alton (GM&O/ICG) in Springfield, Illinois. The train is on the main adjacent to Ridgely Yard off Sangamon Avenue.

ICG 1615 was GM&O 806A prior to renumbering and a paint job; both of these units were built in 1946. The Chicago & Alton had color-position lights due to it being controlled by the Baltimore & Ohio, whose chief engineer devised the wonderful signals.

One image by Richard Koenig; taken May 21st 1977.