Ben Crump Touts Multi-Million Dollar Settlement In Sonya Massey Shooting Case

The massive settlement linked to the case of the 2024 officer-involved shooting death of Sonya Massey has been finalized.

According to a report from NBC News, officials in Sangamon County, Illinois, have reached a $10 million settlement with the family of the late 36-year-old Black woman who was fatally shot in her home after calling the police for help. The agreement was unanimously approved by the Sangamon County Board last Tuesday. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing Massey’s family, addressed the media on what would have been her 37th birthday.

“We want civil accountability, criminal culpability and we want legislative changes,” Ben Crump said. “We want the laws to prevent something like this from happening again.”

Crump also issued a call to action for police reform in an Instagram post he shared about the news of the settlement.

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Attorney Antonio Romanucci, who is also representing the family, called the settlement historic.

“It’s our understanding that this, by far, is the largest settlement reached in Sangamon County of any kind, let alone a civil rights case such as this one,” Romanucci said.

Some have questioned if the $10 million settlement is enough, but Romanucci defended the amount, pointing out that it equaled half of the sheriff’s office’s annual budget.

“This settlement is magnanimous and it’s very relevant and it’s very significant because, as Ben knows, we’re not in Minneapolis, we’re not in Memphis, we’re not in Louisville,” he said before adding, “We’re in Sangamon County.”

According to county administrator Brian McFadden, this is the largest settlement in the county’s history. The funds will come from a settlement fund and other county reserves. Romanucci noted that the money would go to Massey’s two children, with a court deciding how attorneys would be compensated.

Massey’s death happened after she called 911 on July 6 to report a suspected prowler outside her home. Then-Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson and another deputy arrived at the scene, according to body-camera footage. Grayson, who is white, pointed out a pot of boiling water on the stove. As Massey handled the pot, she twice said, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” Grayson ordered her to drop the pot and, as she ducked, he fired three shots, one of which struck her beneath her left eye.

Grayson later claimed he feared “great bodily harm” or death because of what Massey had said. Records obtained by NBC News show he had worked for six different law enforcement agencies in central Illinois over a four year span. Just weeks after Massey’s death, he was fired and charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct. He has pleaded not guilty and remains in jail.

Massey’s father, James Wilburn, believes that Sangamon County and the agencies that previously employed Grayson share responsibility for his daughter’s death. “I think he should have never been hired,” he said.

The case led to the early retirement of Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell, who had hired Grayson despite his documented performance issues. The situation also resulted in a memorandum of agreement between the U.S. Justice Department and the sheriff’s office, which introduced reforms including better training, policy updates and improved use-of-force data reporting.