SPRINGFIELD, Illinois (WICS) — While Sonya Massey’s death brought the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office to the attention of the US Department of Justice, they will be looking into much more than just that incident. The Justice Department will review the Sheriff’s Office as a whole, including the events leading up to, during and after Massey’s death.

In the letter to the Sheriff’s Office, the DOJ states, “The incident raises serious concerns about SCSO’s interactions with people of color and people with behavioral health disabilities.”

The DOJ report says, “DOJ reviewed reports of the fatal shooting by an SCSO deputy of Sonya Massey, a black woman experiencing a mental health crisis, while responding to Ms. Massey’s 911 call for help on July 6 2024.

The DOJ also requested information regarding the recruitment, hiring and training processes conducted by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office.

The report calls for Sangamon County to provide a background on all job applicants dating back to January 2020. That information would include whether or not a candidate had prior experience and also whether a candidate had family members within the department.

Recruitment was an early point of discussion in Massey Commission task forces, and the Sheriff’s Office faced many questions about the hiring of Sean Grayson.

The Massey Commission, created following the death of Sonya Massey, aims to improve transparency between the Sheriff’s Department and the community.

In a statement provided to us, JoAnn Johnson, a co-chair of the Massey Commission, says, “We strongly encourage the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department, the Emergency Telephone System Department and the State Attorney’s Office to respond to all of the Department of Justice’s questions in the letter. so we can all understand exactly what happened before, during and after Sonya Massey was killed by a Sangamon County deputy. These responses will help inform us as we continue to explore reform ideas and recommendations at the Massey Commission to ensure that a tragedy like this never happens again.”

In a statement, Sangamon County Sheriff Paula Crouch said, “This lawsuit is an important step in building trust throughout the community and strengthening our delivery of fair and efficient services to the residents of Sangamon County.”

The DOJ adds that their investigation will not interfere with the prosecution of Sean Grayson.

Grayson is currently charged with three counts of first degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct.

He is currently being held at the Macon County Jail after being denied pretrial release.