CHICAGO (CBS) — Sangamon County officers have reached a $10 million agreement settlement with the circle of relatives of Sonya Massey, who was once shot and killed in her house by means of a sheriff’s deputy remaining yr after calling 911.
In keeping with a memo received by means of CBS Information, county officers negotiated the $10 million agreement thru mediation following “intensive confidential discussions” between legal professionals for the county and attorneys for Massey’s circle of relatives.
Massey, 36, was once shot and killed in her home close to Springfield on July 6, 2024.
Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson and different sheriff’s deputies answered to a choice a couple of conceivable prowler at her house, and Grayson shot Massey when she checked on a pot of boiling water in her personal kitchen whilst pronouncing, “I rebuke you within the title of Jesus.”
Grayson, 30, was once fired from the sheriff’s division has been charged with first-degree homicide within the fatal capturing. He stays in prison, but is fighting in court to be released from custody whilst he awaits trial.
The $10 million agreement with Massey’s circle of relatives will have to be authorized by means of the Sangamon County Board, and a supply at the board stated the agreement is anticipated to be authorized on the subsequent assembly on Feb. 11.
“This agreement is a part of Sangamon County’s ongoing efforts to deal with the tragic loss of life of Sonya Massey. Along with this settlement, the county is enthusiastic about making improvements to its insurance policies and practices thru its memorandum of settlement with the U.S. Division of Justice. That settlement establishes measures to refine disaster reaction, make stronger coaching, and construct group believe,” Sangamon County Board Chairman Andy Van Meter wrote in a memo to the county board.
The memo additionally states the agreement is not going to require any tax build up, and the county is not going to tackle any further debt or cut back any services and products to pay for the agreement.
“No worth paid can take again the movements of a rogue former deputy, however this settlement is an effort to offer some measure of recompense to the Massey circle of relatives for his or her inconceivable loss. The county stays dedicated to operating with the group to support insurance policies to check out to verify tragedies like this by no means occur once more,” Van Meter wrote.
Feb. 12 would were Massey’s thirty seventh birthday, and her circle of relatives is making plans an illustration on the state capitol that day.
The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Workplace agreed remaining month to be monitored by means of the U.S. Justice Department for 2 years, however the way forward for that settlement is unsure. Civil rights agreements reached on the finish of the Biden management are actually underneath overview by means of officers in President Trump’s Justice Division.
Intervening time, a coalition of county board participants have despatched a letter to the Massey Fee – a electorate’ panel shaped in accordance with Massey’s homicide – asking for they ask the Illinois Legal professional Common or Illinois State Police to research the Sangamon County Sheriff’s place of work, pronouncing they do not imagine the Justice Division settlement is ok or might be enforced. The fee will cope with that request at their subsequent assembly on Feb. 10.
