Chicago, Illinois - Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has called for the resignation of the sheriff whose deputy fatally shot Sonya Massey, reigniting Black Lives Matter protests against racism in law enforcement.

"He has failed to explain how he ended up hiring this deputy sheriff who has been fired from other departments," Pritzker said of Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell during a Wednesday press conference.

"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."

Campbell's deputy Sean Grayson on July 6 shot and killed a 36-year-old Black woman named Sonya Massey, who had called 911 fearing a possible break-in at her home. The officer opened fire when Massey went to remove a pot of boiling water from her stove.

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Grayson has since been fired and charged with three counts of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct.

The deputy was hired despite a history of drunk driving arrests. He remained on duty even though a March 2023 psychological evaluation determined: "He knows he can move too fast at times. He needs to slow down to make good decisions."

"It's the sheriff's job to make people feel safe, and he's done the opposite of that by not answering questions, by going to a church and beginning his remarks by saying 'I'm not resigning,' like as if that's the first thing people want to hear," Pritzker told reporters. "I think he's the one playing politics. It's time for him to go."

Massey's family and supporters gathered for a rally and press conference in Chicago Tuesday evening, demanding urgent policing reforms and judicial accountability in the killing.

"After George Floyd, we drafted the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Among the authors was Kamala Harris and Cory Booker. In the act, it dealt with a law enforcement officer being able to go from district to district getting new job assignments," the Rev. Al Sharpton said during the conference.

"This officer [Grayson] worked in six different jurisdictions inside of four years – six – which would have been illegal under the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act."

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Campbell, meanwhile, has defended his position in the aftermath of Massey's murder.

"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," Campbell said in a statement Wednesday.

"Calls for my resignation are nothing more than political maneuvering during a tragic event and only hurt the good citizens of Sangamon County," he claimed.