Protestors rally at Sangamon Co. Sheriff’s Office after woman’s death
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (NEXSTAR) — Dozens are rallying in front of the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, calling for more transparency in the investigation of 36-year-old Sonya Massey’s death.
Two sheriff’s deputies responded to Massey’s home just after midnight on July 6. Family and friends at the rally say Massey was the one that called the police. She was allegedly worried there was someone trying to break in, according to the county.
After being on scene for half an hour, one of the deputies shot Massey. She was taken to the hospital, where she died from the gunshot wound, according to the Coroner.
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Outside of an initial press release Saturday and confirming one of the sheriff’s deputies was the one who shot Massey, the Sangamon County Sheriff’s office and the Illinois State Police have declined to release any additional information, including any information about what happened in the 30 minutes leading up to Massey being shot.
WCIA has submitted FOIA requests for body camera footage and recording of scanner traffic from that night. Responses have not been given, although the statutory deadline for granting those requests has not passed.
The State Police took over the case in the hours following the shooting. The State Police sent out a statement Wednesday saying they will be withholding the body camera footage and additional information regarding the case to ensure “the integrity of the legal process and the right to a fair trial in the event charges are filed.”
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Protestors refused to accept that answer. They repeatedly called for the release of the body camera footage and for the deputies involved to be prosecuted.
The two deputies involved in the case are currently on paid administrative leave, a standard department procedure, according to the county.
The family has hired nationally renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump to handle their legal battle. Crump represented George Floyd’s family in the case of his murder, and he is also representing the family of Earl Moore Jr., a Springfield man who died from asphyxia. Prosecutors are charging two EMS workers with murder as a part of the case.
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