Sonya Massey’s family is in line to receive $10 million in a settlement with downstate Sangamon County after a sheriff’s deputy fatally shot her last summer, according to a proposed county board resolution.
The agreement is set for a vote by the county board at its monthly meeting Tuesday. Massey’s family agreed not to file a civil lawsuit as part of the settlement.
Massey, 36, had called law enforcement to her Springfield home July 6 to report a possible intruder. Then-Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson shot her in the head, saying he feared Massey would throw a boiling pot of water at him.
Body camera footage of the shooting shows Massey ducking for cover behind a kitchen counter with her hands raised before Grayson fired at her.
Massey, who was unarmed, died an hour later of a gunshot wound just under her left eye.
In this image taken from body camera video released by Illinois State Police on Monday, July 22, 2024, former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson, left, points his gun at Sonya Massey, who called 911 for help, before shooting and killing her inside her home in Springfield, Ill., July 6, 2024. (Illinois State Police via AP)
AP
Grayson, 30, was fired after he was charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct. Records show he remains jailed in Macon County, and his next court date is March 24.
“It is the opinion of both the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office and private counsel representing Sangamon County that approving the mediated settlement agreement is in the best interests of Sangamon County,” the proposed resolution states.
Last month, Sangamon County, its sheriff’s office and dispatch system agreed with the U.S. Department of Justice to resolve an investigation into the shooting. The DOJ concluded it found no evidence that the county discriminated in providing services, and the county did not admit any liability.
The DOJ agreement states the sheriff’s office will continue to work with a Springfield behavioral health center to provide crisis services and send teams to mental health calls with police, among other reforms.
Sangamon County has also established the Massey Commission, which is made up of local residents and aims to address racial inequities in policing.