SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS/AP) – The U.S. Department of Justice is demanding records into the shooting of Sonya Massey, an Illinois woman killed in her home by a sheriff’s deputy, as it investigates how local authorities treat Black residents and those with behavioral health problems.
The government issued a list of demands in dozens of categories in a letter to the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday.
“The Sheriff’s Office, along with appropriate county agencies, has engaged in discussions and has pledged full cooperation with the Department of Justice in its review,” Sheriff Paula Crouch said Friday.
Sonya Masseya 36-year-old black woman, was killed in July when officers responded to a call about a possible prowler at her home in Springfield, Illinois. She was shot three times during a confrontation with an officer.
Sean Grayson, who is white, was fired. He is accused of murder and other crimes and has pleaded not guilty.
The Justice Department wants to know, among other things, whether the sheriff’s office has strategies for responding to people in “behavioral health crises.”
“The incident raises serious concerns about… interactions with black people and people with behavioral health conditions,” the government said.
Andy Van Meter, chairman of the Sangamon County Board, said the Justice Department review is an important step in strengthening public confidence in the sheriff’s office.
Deputy Sean Grayson’s history of misconduct
In a recording released by the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, where Grayson worked from May 2022 to April 2023, a supervisory officer is heard warning Grayson about what the senior officer said was his lack of integrity, about lying in his reports and about what he said. called ‘official misconduct’.
Girard Police Chief Wayman Meredith recalled an alleged incident in 2023, when he said an irate Grayson pressured him to call Child Protective Services for a woman outside Grayson’s mother’s home. He said Grayson “acted like a bully.”
The recording and Meredith’s description of Grayson’s behavior showed how he was quick to anger and, according to documents, was willing to abuse his power as an officer.
Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office Allegation History
According to a 2007 review of court records, Massey’s murder was the only criminal case in recent history against a Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office deputy for off-duty actions. Local officials characterized her shooting as an aberration.
However, CBS News has obtained thousands of pages of law enforcement, medical and court records, as well as photo and video evidence showing the agency had a history of allegations of misconduct and failed accountability against Deputy Grayson. The documents disputed the claim that Massey’s death was, as the then-sheriff said, an isolated incident.rogue individual.”
Local families were convinced Massey’s death was the latest in a pattern of blatant abuse that has gone unchecked for years.
Attorneys for Massey’s family have recommended an updated SAFE-T bill that would expand an existing database used to track officer misconduct to include offenses such as drunken driving and speeding during police pursuits.
