The U.S. Justice Department and a Illinois sheriff’s office resolved an inquiry into violations of federal anti-discrimination law in last summer's shooting death of an unarmed Black woman in her home after she called 911 for assistance. A memo of agreement stipulates that federal officials found no discriminatory practices by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office or the county’s emergency dispatch operation in the death of Sonya Massey. In the deal, local officials pledged a series of remedies, including more training and use-of-force data reporting. The alleged shooter, ex-deputy Sean Grayson, was fired and remains jailed facing a first-degree murder charge, reports the Associated Press..In the early morning July 6, Massey, 36, called deputies to her Springfield home, saying she suspected a prowler. Grayson and another officer, both white, responded and entered her home to get information. Grayson pointed out a pan of boiling water on the stove, Massey retrieved it and joked with Grayson over his backing away from it.
She told Grayson, " I rebuke you in the name of Jesus." Grayson yelled at her to droop the pot. As she ducked, he fired three shots, striking her below the left eye. A county Massey Commission, whose co-chairpersons include Massey’s cousin Shadia Massey, requested federal intervention. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division investigated the county’s compliance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Safe Streets Act of 1968, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin. Because Massey’s mental health issues were the subject of 911 calls from herself and her mother in the days before the shooting, officials reviewed the incident under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said the agreement "reflects Sangamon County’s commitment to instituting reform and taking action that will help improve public safety and restore trust with the community in the road ahead." ,The county must add training for deputies and dispatchers in nondiscriminatory policing, de-escalation techniques and dealing with behavioral health disabilities. It must work with health organizations to create a mobile crisis response unit from which mental health professionals can respond to crises and emphasize de-escalation.
留言