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    • DOJ investigates Illinois sheriff’s office after Sonya Massey’s murder
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    DOJ investigates Illinois sheriff’s office after Sonya Massey’s murder

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    The The Department of Justice is investigating an Illinois County Sheriff’s Office after a former deputy fatally shot a black woman in her house causing national outcry and renewed calls for police reform.

    A scathing letter from the Department of Justice dated Thursday to the Sangamon County Sheriff Paula Crouch and other county officials said that the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey earlier this year “is processing serious concerns about (the sheriff’s department’s) interactions with people of color and people with behavioral health disabilities,” along with a number of practices and procedures.

    The letter also says the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has reviewed information alleging that the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, Sangamon County and the Sangamon County Central Dispatch System may be violating federal anti-discrimination laws.

    Nationally renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing massey’s family he said in July In the weeks after Massey was killed, the Justice Department was investigating the shooting but had no further details on the scope of the investigation. The Justice Department, in its eight-page letter, requests the county’s cooperation in providing records in nearly 30 different areas.

    In addition to all records related to Massey’s shooting, the Justice Department’s requests for information include how the sheriff’s office responds to mental health crises, its hiring practices, the racial makeup of people in traffic stops and incidents of use of the force, dealing with complaints of past discrimination and more.

    Crouch, in a statement released Friday, said his office was “committed to cooperating fully with the Department of Justice in its review.”

    DOJ: Sonya Massey killing points to ‘possible problems’

    On July 6, then deputy Sean Grayson shot dead Massey, 36, after calling 911 about a possible intruder. Grayson was fired from the department shortly after that he is in prison murder charges. He pleaded not guilty and said he acted in self-defense. The Justice Department’s letter said its investigation is separate from the ongoing criminal prosecution of Grayson.

    The shooting and previous 911 calls involving Massey in the days before her death point to “possible issues” with Sangamon County, the sheriff’s department and the sheriff’s department’s emergency response and dispatch system, the Justice Department letter said .

    Sonya Massey’s mother, Donna Massey, called 911 the day before the shooting and said her daughter was having a “mental breakdown.” Springfield police responded because Donna Massey’s home was in town. Sonya Massey’s home is in an unincorporated part of Woodside, so officers from another department, the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, responded to her call the next day.

    The Justice Department also said it was looking into reports of hiring practices in the sheriff’s office, “including allegations that a lack of racial diversity at (the department) impacts the delivery of policing services to communities of color.”

    Grayson’s hiring process has been called into question. His criminal records show he had two DUIs and a questionable discharge from the military. Grayson had also been with six different law enforcement agencies over four years.

    Body-worn camera video shows fatal shootings

    Grayson was one of two Sangamon County deputies who responded to Massey’s home around 12:50 p.m on July 6.

    Body Worn Camera Recordings it shows Massey holding a pot in the kitchen while the two officers stand a few feet away with a kitchen counter separating them. As Massey lifts the pot, she says the words which Grayson claims made him fear for his life: “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”

    Throwing his hand at his gun, Grayson replies, “You better f—– no or I swear to God, I’ll shoot you right in your face f—–“

    The video shows Grayson pointing his gun at Massey and yelling at her to drop the pot. Massey deflects as she says “I’m sorry” before Grayson shoots her three times, including one fatal bullet at her head.

    1,045 people were killed by police in 2023

    Human rights advocates have for years documented excessive use of force by law enforcement in the nation and show the data The United States far outpaces other rich countries in police killings.

    Conformable Mapping Police Violence, most officer-involved crimes begin with traffic stops, mental health checks, disturbances, non-violent crimes, or where no crime has been charged.

    Police killings also disproportionately affect people of color, according to the nonprofit group’s data. In 2023, 27% of people killed by police were black, even though they made up 13% of the population. Native Americans, Hispanics, and Pacific Islanders were also disproportionately affected.

    So far in 2024, law enforcement officers have killed 1,045 people nationwide, making it the deadliest year since Mapping Police Violence began tracking incidents in 2013.

    Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; [email protected]; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

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