Sonya Massey’s Attorneys Announce $10M Settlement in Wrongful Death Case

On what would have been her 37th birthday, Sonya Massey’s family’s lawyers announced a $10 million settlement in their wrongful death lawsuits against Sangamon County and the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office. The Sangamon County Board approved the settlement on Tuesday, seven months after a deputy shot the unarmed victim in her home near Springfield.

The Massey family and their attorneys released a statement following the announcement of the settlement: “The settlement reached by civil attorneys for the senseless death of Sonya Massey brings some measure of accountability and closure to those who loved her. But nothing can remove the persistent pain, frustration, and grief caused by her senseless death.”

What happened? 

In the early morning of July 6, Massey called 911 to report a prowler outside her home. This set in motion a series of events that left Massey dying on her kitchen floor and former Sangamon County Deputy Sean Grayson facing charges for first-degree murder.

In the days leading up to the slaying, Massey was the subject of several calls to police, including one from her mother concerning a mental breakdown. Her mother told police that Massey was acting like a “paranoid schizophrenic.” Dispatchers who sent Grayson to the home didn’t relay that information concerning previous contacts with police and mental health professionals.

Grayson’s employment record became the object of scrutiny after the shooting. He had worked for six departments in four years and had two convictions for driving under the influence.

An investigation revealed that the county hired other deputies with previous convictions for driving under the influence, including one who was involved in a single-car crash with a loaded gun and a BAC three times the legal limit while off duty from his job at a different police department. He still has a job at the sheriff’s office.

Grayson was later fired after he faced charges. He remains in Macon County Jail, awaiting an Illinois Supreme Court decision concerning his pretrial release. The trial court ordered that he remain in custody, but an appellate court later directed a reassessment of his threat to the public as a private citizen, instead of a police officer. Prosecutors have appealed, and we are now awaiting a decision from the Illinois Supreme Court.

In the days following Massey’s death, her attorneys urged Illinois legislators to take action, prompting bills sponsored by Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, and Rep. Justin Slaughter, D-Chicago. The bills called for more robust background checks and greater sharing of law enforcement applicants’ work and personal history.

“Sonya’s family believes that this type of background check would have raised numerous concerns about the officer who would later take her life, and in creating a more thorough hiring process in Illinois that tragedies like Sonya’s can be prevented,” according to a statement made Wednesday.

Talk to a Springfield, IL Wrongful Death Lawyer Today 

Patel Law, PC represents the interests of Illinois families filing wrongful death lawsuits against negligent defendants. Call our Springfield personal injury lawyers today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin investigating your case right away.

Source:

capitolnewsillinois.com/news/massey-attorneys-announce-10-million-settlement-in-wrongful-death-case/