(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The Department of Justice (DOJ) will investigate the nondiscrimination practices of Sangamon County, following concerns that were raised after a deputy fatally shot Sonya Massey.
Massey’s family is feeling encouraged by the DOJ investigation, according to a statement they shared with Channel 3 News in Champaign. Sonya Massey, a Black woman experiencing a mental health crisis, was shot dead in her kitchen by a responding Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy in July 2024.
That deputy, Sean Grayson, has since been fired and has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge.
The county sheriff has since retired, and the DOJ is now asking for more information after receiving allegations that the sheriff’s office, the county, and the Sangamon County Central Dispatch System could have violated federal nondiscrimination laws.
Sangamon County officials have now received a formal letter from the DOJ asking for more information after receiving allegations the Sheriff’s Office, the county, and the Sangamon County Central Dispatch System could have violated federal nondiscrimination laws.
These complaints include Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the Safe Streets Act, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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