SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the shooting of Sonya Massey , a Black woman who was fatally shot inside her home by a former Illinois sheriff's deputy earlier this month, civil rights attorney Ben Crump announced.
Crump said Tuesday that the case is now part of a Justice Department investigation, but noted that he didn't know the probe's scope or who might be involved. The investigation comes a day after Illinois State Police publicly released body camera footage of the shooting.
The 36-minute body camera footage shows the rapid escalation that led former Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy Sean P. Grayson to shoot Massey, 36, inside her home in Springfield, Illinois.
Grayson and another deputy responded to Massey's house on July 6 after she called 911 to report a possible intruder. In the body camera video, Grayson yells at Massey over moving a pot of boiling water from the stove to the sink.
He then threatens to shoot her in the face and screams at her to drop the pot. The video shows Massey ducking before Grayson fires at her three times, including a fatal shot to the head.
Grayson, 30, of Riverton, has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery, and official misconduct. He remains in custody without bail.
The graphic video was released on the Illinois State Police's YouTube channel and has sparked national outrage. Local, state, and federal officials have commented on the deadly encounter, which has generated several protests, including one that drew about 200 people to the Springfield NAACP building last week.
Crump, a high-profile attorney retained by the Massey family, confirmed at a news conference that Massey's parents and her two children were among those who met in private with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton on Tuesday. It was open "but emotional at times," Crump said.
Crump said the Department of Justice investigation is "welcome" given concerns of the family about the case. Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell also said he would welcome the probe and will "fully cooperate."
"I've done a lot of cases all across America and I've seen it done in a variety of ways," Crump said when asked about the investigation. "Sometimes, they just say they're going to overlook what the local law enforcement does, like they were doing with Breonna Taylor, and then they sometimes do like George Floyd where they actually put boots on the ground, like they did with Ahmaud Arbery, Tyre Nichols.
"So, we don't know what the scope is. We just know they've opened an investigation file on Sonya Massey. Obviously, with the family's guidance, if the family wants them to go deeper, we're going to advocate for them to go deeper."
He added that Pritzker gave his commitment that the state will be "partners in justice" in the investigation and promised a fair and transparent process.
Crump further said Tuesday that he could not rule out a civil lawsuit in the case, saying the legal team planned to explore "every possible legal remedy to get full justice for Sonya Massey."
Local officials, Illinois lawmakers and President Joe Biden have called the shooting of "unthinkable, senseless" and "shocking, horrifying and heartbreaking" after the body camera footage was released Monday afternoon.
Biden said he and first lady Jill Biden "mourn with the rest of the country and our prayers are with Sonya’s family, loved ones, and community during this devastating time."
"Sonya’s family deserves justice," Biden added. "I am heartbroken for her children and her entire family as they face this unthinkable and senseless loss."
In a statement Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris said Massey “deserved to be safe” after she called the police for help. Harris called Massey's death "senseless," adding that the footage "confirms what we know from the lived experiences of so many."
Several Illinois officials also weighed in, including State Sen. Doris Turner who urged people to come together "to seek justice and do all we can to prevent another Black man or woman from being unjustly killed." State Attorney General Kwame Raoul called the footage "horrific" in a statement Monday.
"I offer my deepest sympathy to Sonya Massey’s family as they relive a moment no family should experience," Raoul said. "As the community reacts to the release of the footage, I urge calm as this matter works its way through the criminal justice system."
At Massey's funeral on Friday, days before the body camera footage was released, Crump said the video would "shock the conscience of America like the pictures of Emmett Till after he was lynched." The 1955 lynching of the 14-year-old in Mississippi helped galvanize the Civil Rights Movement.
Crump added that like the George Floyd video was a catalyst for the Black community in the 2020 presidential election, the Massey video is going to be "similarly impactful" on the 2024 election.
"It is that senseless, that unnecessary, that unjustifiable, that unconstitutional," Crump said. "This video is tragic in every sense."
Sonya Massey called police for help. A responding deputy shot her in the face.
Online records from the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board revealed that Grayson had worked at six different law enforcement agencies in the last four years.
From August 2020 to December 2021, Grayson worked part-time at the Pawnee, Kincaid and Virden police departments, according to online records. He then worked full-time for less than one year at the Auburn Police Department, about one year at the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, and just over a year at the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office.
Online records from Macoupin County, about 50 miles southwest of Springfield, showed that Grayson was arrested for driving under the influence in 2015 and 2016.
According to Crump, Massey's father, James Wilburn, said he didn't understand why Grayson was hired by the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office in 2023. Wilburn added that the department should have known about Grayson's past, including the two DUIs, and questioned "if they did any kind of investigation."
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Ben Crump says Justice Department will investigate Sonya Massey shooting
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