Panel looking at murder of Sonya Massey by sheriff's deputy recommends police reforms

A commission formed following the murder of an unarmed Black woman in her Springfield area home by a white Sangamon County sheriff's deputy last year has released its call for reforms, including psychological screenings for prospective officers and a stronger focus on how police respond to mental health calls.

The group of Springfield activists and community leaders making up the Massey Commission started meeting in the fall of 2024, shortly after Sonya Massey, 36, was fatally shot by Sean Grayson. The 31-year-old then-sheriff’s deputy had responded to Massey’s 911 call reporting a potential prowler. A downstate jury convicted Grayson of second-degree murder in late October.

The commission's 26 "calls to action" were presented to the Sangamon County Board Tuesday and largely focus on police reforms. One step directs the county to establish uniform background checks and psychological screenings for prospective law enforcement officers.

Sontae Massey, Sonya’s cousin, served on the commission and told the county board this week that the action items aren’t just recommendations.

“They are a promise that this county can be different,” Massey said. “My cousin deserved that. Your families deserve that, and our community is asking you to help us build it.”

Massey’s death sparked outrage from community members, resulting in dozens of protests, a listening session hosted by the U.S. Justice Department that quickly devolved into chaos, and then-Sheriff Jack Campbell’s resignation due to the “political climate.”

Local activists, as well as Massey’s family members and friends, have since called for reforms in police hiring and accountability, after media reporting revealed Grayson’s multiple DUI arrests and a history of misconduct at previous precincts. In response, state Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, sponsored a measure that Gov. JB Pritzker in August signed into law, requiring employment history disclosure during the hiring process.

During that bill-signing, Turner, who knew Massey, said she had also worked with the Sangamon County Board to create the 13-member commission.

“This commission is not about politics,” Turner said. “They will make a generational change in our community ... and in communities across the state.”

The commission also focused on the area’s crisis response systems and mental health resources, calling on county leadership to create a unified 911 dispatch system to respond to mental health calls and training more first responders in crisis intervention strategies.

County records show Massey was suffering from a mental health crisis in the days leading up to her death. Her mother, Donna Massey, had called the police multiple times to report her daughter acting erratically and attempting to drive her car. Massey had also recently been discharged from a behavioral health center about 10 miles outside of St. Louis.

Commission members have repeatedly called into question the effectiveness of armed police officers de-escalating situations, and have pointed to Massey’s final moments. Body-worn camera footage of that night shows that Massey initially appears confused, and her interaction with Grayson quickly escalates when she tells him, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”

Grayson then draws his gun on her, and tells her that he will shoot her in her “f- - - ing face” before firing at her three times.

“As one resident put it, when someone is in crisis, they shouldn't have to fear for their life when police show up. That's not an extraordinary request,” commission co-chair JoAnn Johnson said. “It's the basic standard of what safety should be.”

Another, more short-term step would be to establish a mental health board that would levy a small property tax and allocate those funds toward local mental health programs. Sangamon County residents will have the opportunity to vote on a binding referendum to establish that board during the March 17 primary.

While the commission is no longer meeting, members have said they will host listening sessions in the coming weeks for the public to offer feedback on recommended steps.

“Every recommendation, every meeting, every data point comes back to one truth: We cannot lose another life the way we lost Sonya,” Sontae Massey said. This work is not political, it's not abstract, it's human.”

Mawa Iqbal covers state government and politics for WBEZ and Illinois Public Radio.