SPRINGFIELD, Ailing. — County officers in Springfield, Illinois, have agreed to pay $10 million to the household of Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black lady shot and killed in her house final summer time by a sheriff’s deputy responding to her name for assist.
The Sangamon County Board authorised the settlement Tuesday night time, permitting taxpayers to keep away from a drawn-out and sure traumatic lawsuit over {the summertime} taking pictures by former deputy Sean Grayson.
The county maintains a settlement fund with a stability of $1.5 million. However in response to native information experiences, county administrator Brian McFadden mentioned the remainder of the cost will come from reserves in different county funds.
“To pay for this explicit settlement, we won’t be elevating taxes, we won’t be issuing extra debt, we won’t be chopping companies,” McFadden mentioned. “We are able to deal with this by what’s in place in these reserves.”
Massey’s household had scheduled a information convention for Wednesday morning.
Grayson, 30, is charged with first-degree homicide in Massey’s dying after her change with Grayson over eradicating a scorching pot from a stovetop.
The case has drawn nationwide consideration as one other instance of police taking pictures Black individuals of their houses. It compelled the untimely retirement of Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell, who employed Grayson, and prompted an settlement with the Justice Division for extra coaching on non-discriminatory policing, de-escalation methods and coping with psychological well being disabilities.
Massey, whose psychological well being points have been the topic of a number of 911 calls from herself and her mom within the days main as much as the taking pictures, known as emergency responders early on July 6 to report a suspected prowler. Grayson and one other deputy responded. Throughout a dialog in her front room, Grayson observed a pot of water on the range and directed the opposite officer to take away it.
Massey retrieved the pot and joked with Grayson about how he backed away from it, then advised Grayson, “I rebuke you within the title of Jesus.” Grayson yelled at her to drop the pot and drew his weapon. Massey apologized and ducked behind a counter. Grayson fired three photographs, hanging her just under the left eye.
Grayson stays jailed regardless of a unanimous 4th District Appellate Courtroom ruling in November that his pre-trial detention was improper as a result of prosecutors failed to indicate there have been no situations underneath which Grayson may very well be launched with out posing a menace to the neighborhood. Illinois eradicated money bail in a legislation that took impact in 2023, permitting judges to order detention solely with adequate trigger.
The Illinois Supreme Courtroom is contemplating an attraction of that ruling.
