Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued his strongest rebuke of the Sangamon County Sheriff Wednesday, a day after the one-month anniversary of Sonya Massey's death. The governor called the shooting of Massey, a Black woman in her home by a white former deputy "horrific."
But then he turned his attention again to Sheriff Jack Campbell. "I called for the sheriff's resignation because the sheriff has failed," Pritzker said. Just a day earlier, he said Campbell had not answered questions, such as why former Deputy Sean Grayson was hired, despite questions about his military and work history with other law enforcement.
"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. That just seems outrageous to me. At a minimum, listen to them, hear them and then hopefully take action," Pritzker said.
Campbell issued a statement moments later.
"On four separate occasions, I have requested to meet with the Massey family through intermediaries designated by the family. My requests have been rejected or not accepted. I am still willing to meet with the family." he said.
The governor mentioned a Black lawmaker shared with him that in years past, there wouldn't have been an investigation or body camera footage released and they wouldn't have known what happened.
"The silver lining in this, if there is a silver lining, is that someone is being held accountable. Yet, we have much more to do," the governor said.
Pritzker mentioned he met with Massey's family recently and some ideas for legislation were discussed, but he gave no details. "I promised them we would look at every avenue to determine how we might prevent this from happening to anyone ever again."
Pritzker also said Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton has also called for Campbell to step down.
Campbell said he is willing to work with the community and elected leaders to improve the department.
"However, before changes can be made, it is important to identify the problem," Campbell responded. "We have used a process that we believe was consistent with statewide standards. If these standards are deficient, we would advocate a change at all necessary levels. We are working diligently to gather all the facts in order to make intelligent decisions and to avoid making changes that are unlikely to lead to meaningful results."
"We need to unite and heal," the sheriff continued. "The one responsible is in jail and will never work in law enforcement again. Calls for my resignation are nothing more than political maneuvering during a tragic event and only hurt the good citizens of Sangamon County. I was overwhelmingly elected to lead the Sheriff’s Office through both good times and bad. I am fully prepared to continue leading my office and serving the residents of Sangamon County through this difficult period, ensuring we learn from this tragedy and work toward a better future."
An effort among some Sangamon County Board members would add a non-binding referendum on Campbell's job performance to the fall ballot. A minority of members is co-sponsoring it. The issue is expected to be debated at the next board meeting Tuesday.
