Justice Department launches civil rights investigation into Illinois sheriff’s office after Sonia Massey shooting

CNN
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The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office in Illinois, four months after a deputy was fatally shot. Sonya Massey while responding to her call about a possible burglary outside the home of a 36-year-old black woman.

A July 6 encounter between Massey and two county sheriff’s deputies who came to her home near Springfield ended with the deputy Sean Graysonwhich is White, shooting her after a dispute involving a pot of hot water in her kitchen, body camera recording show. Grayson was released and charged with murder and other crimes.

In a letter sent Thursday to county officials, the Department of Justice said the shooting “raises serious concerns about SCSO’s interactions with black people and people with mental disorders.” A copy of the letter was obtained by the CNN affiliate WICS.

The shooting also raises concerns about SCSO’s “policies, practices, procedures and training regarding community policing, impartial policing, behavioral crisis response, use of force, de-escalation” and other issues, the Justice Department said.

“Furthermore, the incident and previous 911 calls involving Ms. Massey in the days before her death indicate possible problems” with the emergency response and dispatch system, according to the Justice Department, which also said it is also reviewing the practice employment, accusations of “lack of racial diversity” and body-worn camera compliance.

According to the letter, the Justice Department is investigating whether the matters constitute racial and disability discrimination prohibited by federal law.

Messi’s murder, which was captured on body-worn camera video, sparked national outrage and renewed calls to pass The George Floyd Police Justice Actwhich will create a national registry of police misconduct and tackle racial bias and the use of force. Grayson problems with the law, the army and its work in the police covered six bodies in four years.

CNN has reached out to the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Justice, the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office and attorneys for the Massey family for comment.

In October in The Massey Commission — which Sangamon County officials determined after the shooting — sent a formal request for an investigation by the sheriff’s office to the Department of Justice, the Illinois attorney general and the Illinois State Police.

The Justice Department’s investigation is separate from the ongoing case against Grayson, who has pleaded guilty not guilty on charges of murder, aggravated assault with a firearm and official misconduct.

Massey, have two childrenjoined Breonna Taylor and Atatiana Jefferson on the list of black women killed by law enforcement in their own homes, whose deadly use of force has come under scrutiny.

Massey called 911 on July 6 to report a possible intruder at her home, according to prosecutors. What began as a calm conversation between Massey and two sheriff’s deputies outside her front door and in her living room soon took a turn for the worse after Grayson took action that Illinois prosecutors and others say escalated the situation.

In a state court filing, prosecutors said a use-of-force expert reviewed footage captured by a body camera and concluded that deadly force was used. was not justified.

Massey’s family said she had a history of mental health issues, and the dispatch says the sheriff’s department was told Massey was experiencing a mental health crisis. The day before the shooting, her mother called 911 and said that her daughter is going through a mental breakdown, but it is not dangerous.

The sheriff’s office also came under scrutiny for its decision to hire Grayson in May 2023. Records show he was discharged from the Army for serious misconduct — the sheriff’s department said he understood it was a conviction in 2015 — and pleaded guilty to a second aggravated assault charge in 2016. Records also show that as of 2020, he worked for six law enforcement agencies in Illinois. Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell retired in August.

The Justice Department has requested copies of all documents related to the Messi case, including phone logs, dispatches, transcripts and recordings, body camera footage and a list of personnel who arrived at the scene. The sheriff’s office was also asked to provide information on the hiring process and police standards starting in 2020. The Justice Department has asked for the records and information by Dec. 14.

According to charging documents, Grayson did not activate his body camera until after he shot Massey. Another deputy had his body camera on when he first arrived at the scene, documents state.

After the shooting, Grayson left the house and spoke to a group of law enforcement officers outside. “Yeah, I’m fine, that motherfucker is crazy,” he said, according to the footage.

CNN’s Steven Watts contributed to this report.