Sonya Massey's Family Given $10M Settlement After 'Senseless Death'

SANGAMON COUNTY, IL — The family of Sonya Massey, a Black woman who was fatally shot in her home by a deputy last summer, will receive a $10 million civil settlement from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department and Sangamon County, according to the family’s attorneys.

Massey, who was 36 and struggled with mental illness, was killed in her Springfield-area residence by then-deputy Sean Grayson, 30, who has since been terminated and charged with first-degree murder. The Sangamon County Board approved the settlement Tuesday, according to the Massey family lawyers.

“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,” Massey’s family and their attorneys said in a prepared statement.

“The use of deadly force during that encounter is as stunning as it is deeply, deeply sad. It is the hope of Sonya’s family that her death can bring change, and that the community will continue to say her name so no one ever needlessly loses their life again when all they are asking for is help.”

The case forced the premature retirement of Sheriff Jack Campbell, who hired Grayson, and prompted a county agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice for more training on non-discriminatory policing, de-escalation techniques and dealing with mental health disabilities.

Prior to being hired by Sangamon County, Grayson had worked at five other law enforcement agencies since mid-2020, according to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. He was also charged with driving under the influence in 2015 and 2016, and pleaded guilty both times, Macoupin County court records showed.

Sangamon County officials said they would pay out the $10 million award from a settlement account and reserves from other county funds. Disbursement of the money will be decided by a court but will go to Massey's two teenage children, attorney Antonio Romanucci said. A court also decides compensation for attorneys, but "the lion's share will go to the family," Crump said.

Massey called 911 around 1 a.m. July 6 about a possible prowler at her home, and Grayson was among the deputies who responded. She was moving a pot off the stove when one of the deputies told her he was stepping “away from your hot steaming water,” according to body camera footage.

“Away from my hot steaming water?” she replied. “Oh, I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”

The mood shifted drastically as Grayson threatened to shoot Massey in the face, the footage showed. She apologized and ducked behind a counter as the deputies both drew guns and shouted at her to drop the pot that she had been holding, which she appeared to have left near the sink area of her kitchen counter when she ducked. She then popped back up and was seen holding what appeared to be the pot as three shots were heard and water was visible on the kitchen floor.

In the wake of Massey’s death, state Sen. Doris Turner, D-48, and state Rep. Justin Slaughter, D-27, have introduced bills calling for more robust background checks and greater sharing of law enforcement applicants’ work and personal histories, according to the Massey family’s attorneys.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.