Illinois sheriff resigning after deputy charged in woman’s death
REUTERS/VINCENT ALBAN/FILE PHOTO
Donna Massey, the mother of Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman shot and killed by an Illinois sheriff’s deputy during a call for help at her home, reacts after speaking during a press conference and rally at New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago, Ill., on July 30. An Illinois sheriff whose deputy was fired, arrested and charged in July in the fatal shooting of 36-year-old Black woman Sonya Massey, said today he will retire by the end of August.
An Illinois sheriff whose deputy was fired, arrested and charged in July in the fatal shooting of 36-year-old Black woman Sonya Massey, said today he will retire by the end of August.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and others had called on Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell to resign after Campbell’s deputy, Sean Grayson, who is white and 30 years old, was fired and charged with murder in Massey’s killing in July.
KEY QUOTES
“It has become clear that the current political climate has made it nearly impossible for me to continue effectively in my role,” Campbell said in a statement today.
“We must honor the life of Sonya Massey by ensuring that no one else falls victim to such tragic and senseless action,” Campbell added in announcing he will step down.
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CONTEXT
The Illinois State Police released video last month of the deputy sheriff killing Massey in her home, revealing details of a shooting some likened to high-profile cases in which law enforcement has used excessive force on Black Americans.
Grayson fired three shots at Massey, striking her once in the face during a call for help at her home, according to court documents. Grayson pleaded not guilty to murder.
Massey, a mother of two teenagers, had called police about a suspected intruder in her Springfield home, according to Ben Crump, a civil rights lawyer representing the family.
Her death was the latest in a running list of high-profile police killings of Black people, including George Floyd, Trayvon Martin and Roger Fortson, who Crump has represented.
