Springfield, Illinois – In our ongoing coverage of the Springfield Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit and its treatment of people on the East Side of Springfield, Springfield Leaks has obtained body-worn camera footage of the arrest of Jaylin Netters, age 28. Community activist Samuel Johnson, who held a press conference with Jaylin Netters, his mother Keyda Netters, and an activist group, claims that this is yet another instance of the Street Crimes Unit targeting Black individuals on the East Side of Springfield.
Johnson stated that officers attempted to gain unlawful entry into Netters’ vehicle by claiming it had illegal tinted windows, even though they did not see Netters drive the vehicle and it was legally parked on the side of the road. “This is yet another attempt by the Street Crimes Unit to unlawfully enter a vehicle and target individuals who match a certain description and resemble me. Now, we also have a dog attacking us while we are on the ground. This just looks like modern-day slavery,” Johnson said.
Netters was arrested for aggravated battery to a police officer, obstructing a police officer, resisting arrest, and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. He was released from the Sangamon County Jail and was not formally charged.
Jaylin Netters – Dog bite wound from Springfield Police K-9 “Chaos”
Springfield, Illinois – Sean Patrick Grayson, a former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy accused of murdering Sonya Massey in her home after responding to her 911 call about a prowler, has replaced his Naperville, Illinois attorney with a high-profile Springfield criminal defense attorney.
Attorney Mark Wykoff has taken over from Naperville attorney Brian Sexton as Grayson’s counsel, joining Daniel Fultz of the law firm Brown, Hay & Stephens
Today, Grayson will appear in a Sangamon County courtroom at 3:30 PM for a pre-trial motion seeking his release.
Wykoff, who has previously secured the release of two clients facing murder charges, stated in the motion that Grayson would remain at his home in Riverton, Illinois, where he lives with his fiancée. Grayson, a veteran who received a general discharge from the United States Army under honorable conditions, is scheduled to marry in October. He has also recently undergone a significant medical procedure and is still receiving ongoing care.
Wykoff also noted in his motion that all firearms and other weapons have been removed from Grayson’s home and that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board has suspended his certification as a police officer.
Stay tuned to Springfield Leaks for more updates to this article.
Press Conference at Oscars Corner Store in Springfield, Illinois
Springfield, Illinois — The Springfield, Illinois Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit is being accused of targeting people on the East Side of Springfield and turning minor traffic offenses into an opportunity to conduct traffic stops in order to search their vehicles for contraband or firearms.
Left to Right: Barbara Hampton (Mother), Ardell Hampton Jr., and Attorney Sara Vig
According to police reports, on July 8, 2024, around 7:47 p.m., Springfield Police Officers Sgt. Michael R. Raynolds and Patrol Officer Corey Cortes reported that they observed a black Nissan sedan traveling southbound in the 1000 block of N. 9th Street. The vehicle had heavily tinted passenger-side windows, which appeared to be illegal. Sgt. Raynolds noted that, as he was driving northbound on 9th Street and observed the Nissan with visibly illegal window tints, the driver’s window was partially rolled down. The driver looked at their vehicle and continued to look toward them after passing. Sgt. Raynolds noted, “From my training and experience, I know that subjects who are in possession of illegal contraband, specifically firearms and narcotics, will view police and then continue to watch officers for their reaction.” Sgt. Raynolds then stated that he conducted a U-turn based on Ardell Hampton Jr.’s eye contact, got behind the vehicle, and exited his squad car to approach the driver’s door. “As I got out of the vehicle, the driver also got out of his vehicle. I told the driver he needed to stop because I was conducting a traffic stop. The driver advised that he did not need to stop. I then observed the subject (Ardell) bending down for a second, and I believed he was bending down to discard evidence and flee on foot. I know from my training and experience that subjects who possess illegal contraband will commonly distance themselves from their vehicle. However, surveillance video from Oscar’s Corner Store does not show that the officers had their red/blue emergency lights on when they conducted their traffic stop.”
In Officer Cortes’s report, he stated that Ardell quickly exited the vehicle and attempted to walk away, and that Sgt. Raynolds “gave him several lawful orders to stay in the vehicle and to stop walking away.” Officer Cortes also noted, “I know based on my training and experience that subjects illegally possessing firearms or contraband often attempt to quickly distance themselves from it.” However, after searching Ardell’s vehicle, officers did not find any contraband or firearms.
Officer Cortes wrote that Ardell instantly became hostile and argumentative, refused to comply with lawful orders, and attempted to “walk away even after being advised that they were conducting a traffic stop, meaning he was detained.” According to the body-worn camera footage, it appears that Ardell got out of the vehicle, dropped his keys, and bent down to pick them up. Officers then approached him, grabbed him, asked if he had something illegal on him, took him to the ground, and cuffed him. While on the ground, they asked him, “Do you have a gun on you?”
Officer Cortes continues in his report, writing, “Based on my observations, I believed that Ardell was fighting with police due to having contraband on his person and potentially a firearm. I attempted to grab his right arm, but he kept it close to his body, and I was unable to obtain control of his arm. Ardell had a significant height advantage over us, and to prevent him from continuing to fight and to de-escalate the situation, I grabbed Ardell by his head and the hoodie of his sweatshirt and pulled him to the ground.”
Ardell was initially transported to the Springfield Police Department because he told officers he was a juvenile. However, officers confirmed he was 20 years old and transported him to the Sangamon County Jail. At the Sangamon County Jail, Ardell complained of a headache and wanted to go to the hospital. Ardell was returned to the officer’s squad car and eventually given a notice to appear in court. He was also asked if he wanted a ride to the hospital, but he refused. He was then told that his mother and father were at the Springfield Police Department, given directions, and instructed to walk there.
Community Activist, Samuel Johnson, compares the current situation to the issues faced by former Sangamon County Sheriff Sean Grayson in Logan County, Illinois. Grayson is accused of murdering Sonya Massey in her home after believing she intended to throw a pot of hot water at him. In Logan County, it was reported that “Grayson stated he saw a woman suspiciously slide down in her seat in a parked pickup truck after making eye contact with him.” Johnson questions, “Are we now pulling people over and targeting them because of eye contact?”
Johnson also mentioned that, prior to this incident, he had attempted to reach out to Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher, as well as former Mayor Jim Langfelder, about the “Jump Out Boys” to arrange a meeting on policing and potential changes on the East Side. However, his calls, text messages, and emails have gone unanswered. When asked if he still wants to have this discussion with Mayor Buscher, Johnson replied, “Yes, I would still like to sit down and discuss an executive order that would establish a relationship between the Mayor’s office and the community, aiming to build solutions for the problems that persist between the police department and the citizens they are meant to protect.”
Johnson also stressed the need for stop receipts to be given to citizens who have encounters with the police. Johnson cited an Illinois law (725 ILCS 5/107-14), which states:
Temporary questioning without arrest. (a) A peace officer, after having identified himself as a peace officer, may stop any person in a public place for a reasonable period of time when the officer reasonably infers from the circumstances that the person is committing, is about to commit or has committed an offense as defined in Section 102-15 of this Code, and may demand the name and address of the person and an explanation of his actions. Such detention and temporary questioning will be conducted in the vicinity of where the person was stopped. (b) Upon completion of any stop under subsection (a) involving a frisk or search, and unless impractical, impossible, or under exigent circumstances, the officer shall provide the person with a stop receipt which provides the reason for the stop and contains the officer's name and badge number. This subsection (b) does not apply to searches or inspections for compliance with the Fish and Aquatic Life Code, the Wildlife Code, the Herptiles-Herps Act, or searches or inspections for routine security screenings at facilities or events. For the purposes of this subsection (b), "badge" means an officer's department issued identification number associated with his or her position as a police officer with that department.
Hampton is being represented by Attorney Sara Vig of Vig Law P.C., which is located at 1100 S. 5th St. in Springfield, IL.
Springfield, Illinois – On July 6, 2024, Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to 2868 S. Hoover Ave. to investigate a call regarding a prowler.
Sangamon County Sheriff Deputy Sean Grayson, who has since been fired and criminally charged with first-degree murder, along with another Sangamon County Sheriff Deputy, made contact with the 911 caller, Sonya Massey, who said she needed assistance. During that encounter, Massey was fatally shot once in the face by Grayson.
The family and the community have protested to have the body camera footage reviewed, and the Sangamon County State’s Attorney has released the footage.
There will be a peace march today at 3:00 p.m., starting at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, located at 908 S. Martin Luther King Drive. The march will proceed to Comer Cox Park, located at 301 S. Martin Luther King Drive.
Update: On behalf of Sangamon County State’s Attorney John C. Milhiser, the Illinois State Police (ISP) is posting the body worn camera (BWC) video from the officer-involved shooting of Ms. Sonya Massey on July 6, 2024. The release of this video is occurring after consultation with the family of Sonya Massey.
“My prayers are with the family of Sonya Massey, and I commend the Illinois State Police for conducting an expedited investigation into her tragic death,” said State’s Attorney Milhiser. “The State’s Attorney’s Office is dedicated to pursuing justice through the prosecution of this case.”
On July 6, 2024, at approximately 12:50 a.m., Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call in the 2800 block of Hoover Avenue in Springfield. Former Sangamon County Deputy Sean Grayson and another deputy made contact with the caller, Sonya Massey, at her residence. During the interaction inside the home of Ms. Massey, former Deputy Grayson discharged his firearm striking Ms. Massey and killing her. The Illinois State Police were contacted to conduct an independent investigation into the shooting.
The investigation was conducted in an expedited timeframe and was first evaluated under Illinois law for the use of deadly force. After a review of the ISP investigation, the State’s Attorney determined the evidence did not support a finding that former Deputy Sean Grayson was justified in his use of deadly force, and the case was presented to a Sangamon County Grand Jury. On July 17, 2024, the Grand Jury returned a five-count indictment including three counts of First Degree Murder, Aggravated Battery with a Firearm, and Official Misconduct. On July 17, 2024, an arrest warrant was issued, and Grayson was taken into custody. He remains in custody.
Left – Now-Fired Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean P. Grayson Right – Sonya Massey
Springfield, Illinois – Springfield Leaks obtained details from the body camera footage of the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, who was killed by a Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy.
On July 6, 2024, now-fired Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean P. Grayson responded to 2868 Hoover St. to investigate a call regarding a prowler. Grayson and another Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy made contact with the 911 caller, Sonya Massey, who said she needed assistance. Massey appeared calm, possibly unwell, and not aggressive. She weighed approximately 110 pounds.
Deputies entered Massey’s home to gather further information, and ensure the residence was safe. According to sources, Massey was at no time under arrest.
Deputy Grayson noticed a pot on the stove and allowed Massey to remove it to prevent any accidental fires. The pot was located in another room of the home, separated by a large counter.
During this time, the other deputy was clearing the house and noted nothing dangerous. Grayson then made a comment about the pot, which apparently contained heated water. Massey responded verbally and set the pot of water down on a counter in the kitchen. Grayson remained in the living room area of the home.
Despite his distance and relative cover, Grayson drew his 9mm firearm, not the less-than-lethal TASER located on his duty vest, and threatened to shoot Massey in the face. Seeing the drawn weapon, Massey put her hands in the air and stated, “I’m sorry,” while ducking for cover behind the counter that separated her and the defendant.
Grayson, with his firearm still drawn, proceeded to close the significant gap between him and Ms. Massey. He then aggressively yelled at Massey to put the pot down.
Grayson then fired his duty weapon three times in the direction of Massey, striking her in the face once. Only at this point did Grayson activate his body-worn camera. However, the body-worn camera of the other deputy was activated when he first arrived on the scene and remained on during the entirety of the events.
Afterward, the other deputy announced he was going to retrieve a medical kit from his vehicle, but Grayson instructed him not to due to the severity of Massey’s injury. Despite this, the other deputy still rendered aid and stayed with Massey until medical help arrived. Grayson did not attempt to render aid to Ms. Massey at any point.
An independent investigation of Grayson’s actions was conducted by the Illinois State Police. An expert in the field of “use of force” reviewed the recordings from the body-worn cameras of both deputies. The expert concluded that Grayson was not justified in his use of deadly force. He likened the scenario to an officer intentionally and unnecessarily placing himself in front of a moving vehicle and then justifying the use of force due to fear of being struck.
In an attempt to keep Grayson in custody, today at 2:00 p.m. in courtroom 5B, Sangamon County prosecutors will argue in front of a judge that “Grayson’s disregard of his training as a law enforcement officer and his disregard for human life are evidenced by clear and convincing evidence that he is a danger to persons in the community. He has ample access to firearms and has shown a willingness to use lethal force despite the availability of non-deadly alternatives when there is little to no threat to his bodily safety.”
1800 block of Post Oak Ct. in Springfield, Illinois
Springfield, Illinois – The Sangamon County Coroner, Jim Allmon, can confirm the death of Robert Terry Jr., age 67, of Springfield and Renee Terry, age 61, of Springfield.
Both decedents were found and pronounced deceased inside their home in the 1800 block of Post Oak Ct. in Springfield yesterday morning.
An autopsy was done today and preliminary findings show Renee Terry died from multiple gunshot wounds and the manner of her death is being investigated as a homicide.
Preliminary autopsy findings for Robert Terry Jr. show he died from a single self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The deaths remain under investigation by the Sangamon County Coroner and the Springfield Police Department.
Springfield, IL – A Springfield woman has been released from the Sangamon County Jail after the Illinois Fourth District Appellate Court ruled that the Sangamon County Trial Court “erred in finding that the defendant posed a threat to the safety of the community and that no conditions of release could mitigate the threat.”
Katherine E. Smith is charged with murder, armed robbery, and home invasion in connection with the fatal stabbing of 19-year-old Dohndre Hughes in February 2018. Smith, who was 18 at the time of her arrest, was charged alongside Dayne A. Woods and Mark D. Meszaros. According to Sangamon County prosecutors, Smith instructed Woods and Meszaros to set up a robbery and provided them with directions on how to enter Hughes’ home. Woods and Meszaros entered the home without Smith, using pepper spray to subdue the occupants. However, Hughes struggled with Woods, who then stabbed him in the chest, ultimately causing his death. Woods and Meszaros left Hughes’ residence with money, which they shared with Smith.
On February 8, 2024, Smith’s attorney, Mark Wykoff, asked the court to release her on pre-trial release while her case is pending. Wykoff argued that Smith, who did not have any previous criminal history, lived with her mother, worked as a sales associate, and was attending classes at a community college, was not alleged to have personally performed any act of violence but rather had been charged on an accountability theory. He also explained that Smith “got hooked up” with Woods because they both liked to smoke marijuana. Wykoff further stated that Woods “liked to dress up like a cop with all his gear and go in and rip off dope dealers,” and that although there was evidence that Smith and Woods planned to “rip off” the victim, who was a marijuana dealer, there was no evidence showing she contemplated Woods would physically harm the victim. However, the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office asked the judge to deny that request and to have her remain in custody until the conclusion of her case due to the nature of the charges. A Sangamon County Judge agreed with the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office, denied her pre-trial release, and ordered her to remain in custody. Attorney Wykoff then appealed that decision.
On May 2, 2024, the Appellate Court reversed that decision and stated in their order, “We agree and find the trial court abused its discretion by determining, based solely on the nature and circumstances of the charged offenses, that defendant ‘poses a danger to the community’ and that no condition or combination of conditions of pretrial release could mitigate such threat.” According to the Appellate Court, “While the State’s proffer tended to show defendant was legally accountable for the charged offenses, it was not sufficient, on its own, to show that defendant posed a real and present threat to the safety of the community. The State’s proffer did not indicate that defendant masterminded the robbery, was aware that Woods would be armed with a knife during the incident, was aware violence would be used against the victim, or personally performed or witnessed any act of violence. The State pointed to no other factor indicating that defendant posed a threat to the safety of the community. Significantly, the pretrial services report indicated that defendant (Smith) had no prior criminal history, and the State presented no evidence she had a history of violence.” They additionally stated, “The fact that a person is charged with a detainable offense is not enough to order detention, nor is it enough that the defendant poses a threat to public safety.”
On May 14, 2024, Smith was granted pre-trial release and released from the Sangamon County Jail with conditions that she is not to leave the State of Illinois, refrain from the possession of a firearm or other dangerous weapons, have no contact directly or indirectly with her co-defendants or the family of the victim, Dohndre Hughes, be placed on home confinement with electronic monitoring, not consume alcohol, cannabis, and illegal prescription drugs without a valid prescription, and undergo a drug/alcohol evaluation.
According to records, Katherine Smith is the third individual charged with murder to be granted pre-trial release. Notably, Peggy Finley, represented by both Attorneys Scott Hankin and Mark Wykoff, is Wykoff’s first client and the first individual in Sangamon County to be granted pre-trial release while facing pending murder charges. Finley, accompanied by former EMT worker Peter Cadigan, who was also released pending pre-trial, is charged with the murder of Earl Moore Jr., who died after being strapped face down and slammed onto a gurney while experiencing medical distress from alcohol withdrawal.
At this time, Smith’s next court date is June 10, 2024. Her co-defendants, Woods and Meszaros, are still awaiting trial in the Sangamon County Jail.
Grant Middle School located at 1800 W. Monroe in Springfield, Illinois
Springfield, Illinois—Today, several staff and teachers from Grant Middle School did not report to work after meeting with Superintendent Jennifer Gill to address their concerns for a safer environment. According to a source, on Monday, May 10, 2024, five Grant Middle School faculty members addressed the school board, and after the meeting, some school board members were overheard saying, “The teachers were exaggerating.” The source tells us, “How much is enough?”
In a press release sent out today, it said, “The dedicated team at Grant Middle School took a bold stand to fight for a safer school environment for all students and staff by not reporting to work. The current system is ineffective in meeting the social and emotional needs of our students.
The top priority of our school board should be to provide a safe environment for every student to learn and for teachers to educate.
Therefore, we are coming together to ask for mental health crisis support and more restorative behavioral measures for students. Additionally, we are requesting meaningful support for our administration and security staff. We firmly believe that educators play a crucial role in shaping the future leaders in our community.”
Springfield School District 186 Spokeswoman, Rachel Dyas tells us that, “Today the students at Grant Middle School were greeted with several guest teachers alongside a number of their regular GMS teachers due to a higher number of staff personal leave absences than normal.
We were notified of this possibility yesterday and took swift action to ensure continuity for our students so that they have a great Friday. The building is adequately covered with certificated staff and security.
We are aware that the educators who serve students each day at Grant are concerned about the level of behavior issues. Yesterday, our Superintendent spent the day at GMS and met with staff voluntarily after school to discuss their concerns. We are dedicated to working through these issues with staff, working with families and supporting administration. As always, we cannot discuss any specific student case or employee issue due to the Student Record Act and employees’ right to privacy.
We know that serving our students and our community is a joint effort with families. Our staff should never have to deal with acts of misbehavior that make them feel unsafe. We are committed to continuing this conversation and supporting staff across the District in constructive and collaborative ways, but it is also a larger community-wide concern that we must address together. We fully understand the gravity of their concerns. The Springfield Education Association has issued their own statement and we will continue to work with them to define their needs and address their concerns as we continue to educate our students.
We do have a continued shortage of substitute teachers and have many staff across the District enjoying graduations and other momentous occasions for their families, so our District and instructional leaders stepped away from their roles to assist with this temporary need. We also asked our assistant principals from other schools and our Regional Office of Education staff who serve schools across our district to respond. We actually had more staff respond than is needed to cover the day.
Grant Middle School teachers and administration are excited about ending the school year strong and have many amazing activities planned, and the District is committed to working collaboratively to address their concerns while continuing to address students’ individual needs and provide an appropriate education for all.”
