The Justice Department said this week that it had found no discriminatory practices behind last year’s fatal shooting by an Illinois sheriff’s deputy of Sonya Massey, an unarmed black woman who had called 911 because she thought there was a prowler outside her home. his house.
Still, as part of a settlement that ended the department’s civil rights investigation into county practices, the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office and emergency dispatch operation must review and update their policies and training. The county must also create a mobile crisis team that includes staff trained in behavioral health.
Federal officials had opened the investigation after Ms. Massey, 36, was killed on July 6, 2024, in her home after an exchange with responding agents over a pot of hot water.
Sean Grayson, a white sheriff’s deputy involved in the murder, was fired and charged with first-degree murder. He has pleaded not guilty.
In a statement Friday after the agreement with the Department of Justice was announced, Sangamon County Sheriff Paula Crouch said: “We are focused on building trust and improving the way we serve our community. “We recognize that there is always room for improvement.”
Attorneys for Massey’s family did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday.
Ms. Massey’s mother, Donna Massey, had called 911 a day before the shooting to ask for help. She told dispatchers that her daughter was having a mental breakdown and was vulnerable, according to recordings of the calls.
In a phone call made around 9 a.m. on July 5, Donna Massey said, “I don’t want you to hurt her, please.”
The Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office said in July that evidence showed Mr. Grayson had not been “justified in his use of deadly force.”
Body camera footage showed Grayson and another officer arrived at Massey’s home and searched the front of the house and the backyard after she called about a prowler. They then knocked on his door and told him that they had found no one outside.
Officers followed her inside and asked her for identification while she sat on a couch, the footage shows. Mrs. Massey then got up to get a pot of hot water off the stove.
While handling the pot, several feet from the officers, Ms. Massey told them twice: “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”
Grayson warned that he “better not do it,” using profanity and saying he would shoot him in the face. He then pulled out his gun, ordered her to drop the pot and fired at least two shots at her, the video shows.
Ms. Massey was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to Illinois State Police.
The sheriff of Sangamon County at the time of the shooting, Jack Campbell, resigned the following month amid calls from the governor of Illinois. JB Pritzkerand the public asked him to resign.
Campbell had hired Grayson knowing he had two drunken driving convictions on his record, including one that had led to his premature discharge from the Army in February 2016, according to personnel records released by the county.
The Justice Department, after reviewing reports about the shooting, said it raised “serious concerns” about the county sheriff’s office’s interactions with Black people and people with behavioral health disabilities.
It opened its investigation two months ago and also delved into the county and its central emergency dispatch system for possible violations of federal nondiscrimination policies.
The county, which is in central Illinois and whose largest city is Springfield, the state capital, said it welcomed the federal review.
During the investigation, federal officials sought to learn more about how the sheriff’s office trains and responds to calls involving people experiencing behavioral health crises. They also asked for data disaggregated by race for use of force and for traffic and pedestrian stops.
As part of the Justice Department’s ruling that Sangamon County did not admit liability, the sheriff’s office will hold more community forums and expand outreach programs. It will also need to collect better data on episodes involving the use of force and people with disabilities.
“The death of Sonya Massey was a terrible tragedy for a woman experiencing a mental health crisis, her family and the entire Sangamon County community,” Deputy Attorney General Kristen Clarke said in a statement. “This agreement reflects Sangamon County’s commitment to institute reforms and take actions that will help improve public safety and restore trust with the community in the future.”
Sheriff Crouch said these reforms would create more transparency and accountability.
President Biden said in July that he was “disconsolate”for Mrs. Massey’s family.
