DOJ Investigates Illinois Sheriff's Office After Fatal Shooting of Black Woman

The Justice Department is probing the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office following the shooting of Sonya Massey to assess potential racial and disability discrimination.

• Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman, was killed in July by Deputy Sean Grayson, who has been charged with murder and other crimes.
• The Justice Department is examining the sheriff's office's handling of behavioral health crises and interactions with Black residents.
• The investigation follows concerns about the sheriff's office's policies on community policing, bias-free policing, and use of force.
• The DOJ is also reviewing the office's hiring practices, including the employment of Grayson, who had a problematic history.
• The incident has reignited calls for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, aiming to address police misconduct and racial bias.

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