U.S. Opens Investigation Into Killing of Sonya Massey

The Justice Department notified Sangamon County, Ill., that it had opened a civil rights investigation after reports about the shooting raised “serious concerns.”

The Justice Department has opened an investigation into the fatal shooting by a sheriff’s deputy of Sonya Massey, a woman who had called the police because she thought a prowler was outside her home and was killed after an exchange with responding officers over a pot of hot water.

In a letter to officials in Sangamon County, the Justice Department said that it had reviewed reports about the shooting of Ms. Massey, who was Black, and that they raised “serious concerns” about the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office’s interactions with Black people and people with behavioral health disabilities.

The Justice Department is also investigating the county and its central emergency dispatch system for possible violations of federal nondiscrimination policies, according to the letter, which a Sangamon County spokesman shared with The New York Times on Sunday.

The deputy, Sean Grayson, who is white, shot Ms. Massey, 36, inside her home in Springfield, Ill., on July 6.

The day before the shooting, Donna Massey, Ms. Massey’s mother, had called 911 and asked for help, saying that her daughter was having a mental breakdown and was vulnerable, according to call recordings that Sangamon County released in August.

The Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office said that evidence showed that Mr. Grayson, who has been charged with murder and fired from the sheriff’s office, had not been “justified in his use of deadly force.”

Mr. Grayson was also charged with aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct. He has pleaded not guilty.

In the Justice Department letter, lawyers asked the county to provide information to advance its investigation, including all phone logs, dispatch records and other documents related to Ms. Massey.

The department also requested documentation about how the sheriff’s office trains and responds to calls involving people experiencing behavior health crises and data broken down by race for use of force and for traffic and pedestrian stops.

The Justice Department addressed the letter to the Sangamon County sheriff, Paula Crouch; the state’s attorney, John Milhiser; and the county’s emergency telephone system director, Chris Mueller.

Sheriff Crouch said in an emailed statement that the sheriff’s office and the other involved agencies had “engaged in discussions and pledged full cooperation with the Department of Justice in its review.”

The sheriff added, “This process is an important step in building communitywide confidence and strengthening our delivery of fair and effective services to the residents of Sangamon County.”

Andy Van Meter, the Sangamon County Board chairman, said in a statement that the board would provide any needed financial resources or additional staffing to help the sheriff meet the Justice Department’s deadlines and requirements.

“We welcome the Department of Justice’s review as an opportunity to ensure that our community’s law enforcement services meet the highest standards of fairness and accountability,” Mr. Van Meter said.

The Justice Department and lawyers for Ms. Massey’s family did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Sunday.

Body camera footage from the shooting shows that Mr. Grayson and his partner searched outside of Ms. Massey’s home before they followed her inside.

She provided the deputies with her identification and then went to her kitchen to remove a pot of water from the stove, footage shows. As she was handling the pot, several feet away from the deputies, Ms. Massey said twice to the deputies, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”

Mr. Grayson told Ms. Massey that she “better not,” and threatened to shoot her in the face. Within seconds, Mr. Grayson drew his gun, ordered Ms. Massey to drop the pot and fired at least two shots, the footage shows.

The Sangamon County sheriff at the time of the shooting, Jack Campbell, resigned in August after the public and the Illinois governor asked him to step down.

Mr. Campbell had hired Mr. Grayson knowing that he had two convictions for driving under the influence on his record, including one that had led to Mr. Grayson’s premature discharge from the Army in February 2016, according to personnel records released by the county.