Attorneys Ben Crump & Antonio Romanucci Announce $10 Million Settlement for Police Death of Sonya Massey

Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorneys Ben Crump of Ben Crump Law and Antonio M. Romanucci of Romanucci & Blandin announce the $10 million settlement of the civil proceedings against the Sangamon County, Illinois Sheriff’s Department and Sangamon County for the July 6, 2024, shooting death of Sonya Massey by then-Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson.

Attorney Crump, Attorney Romanucci and the family of Sonya Massey issued the following statement:

“As we mark Sonya’s birthday today, we are grateful for Illinois State Senator Doris Turner (D48th), who represents Sonya’s district, for introducing SB1953 and for Illinois State Representative Justin Slaughter (D-27th), Chair of Judiciary-Criminal Committee, for introducing HB3837 last week. Both bills call for more robust background checks and the greater sharing of work history and personal history for applicants to law enforcement roles. It is squarely in the public’s best interest that those who are sworn to protect and serve our communities be held to a reasonably high standard before being given a shield and a service weapon. Sonya’s family believes that this type of a 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.“