Officials approved on Tuesday a settlement of $10 million to the family of Sonya Massey who was killed by a Sangamon County deputy in July, after Massey had called about an alleged prowler outside.
This is the highest amount ever paid to a county.
Members of the community in Illinois were shocked by the murder of Massey. Sheriff Paula Crouch, who was the ‘s deputy at the time Massey was killed, took over the post in September.
Crouch said, “I will hold my employees accountable to ensure they follow not only our policies and procedure but also the laws in place.”
CBS News’ investigation into Massey’s death found civil rights complaints filed against the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, Illinois, dating back to at least 20 years.
An investigation reveals a long history of civil rights complaints
CBS News has obtained, over the past six month, surveillance videos, dash and body cams, photos of crime scenes, documents from law enforcement and court records relating to more than fifty civil rights complaints that families have filed in Sangamon County during the last twenty years. The complaints allege false arrests, excessive violence and death.
CBS News conducted interviews with more than a dozen individuals who claimed police misconduct within the county. Not only the deputies or corrections officers mentioned in this article are involved, but there are many others.
Billie Greer’s reaction when she saw the video was that it could have been her. In 2022 Greer was knocked on the door by another Sangamon County deputy, not the one who had shot Massey.
She said that when she refused to accept court papers for a relative she was arrested by a deputy who had followed her into an elderly neighbor’s house where she delivered food.
Greer: “I thought ‘Oh he could shoot me easily’.” “I was terrified.”
Eleven years ago, before Greer’s arrest for no apparent reason, the deputy who arrested Greer also pulled over Cliffton Flagg, and his girlfriend at the time, Tamara Skube. Skube was twice blasted with a Taser.
Skube has a mark where the taser first hit her. She filed a federal suit over the incident.
She claimed that the judge in her case found that unlawful force was used but the sheriff’s department did not hold the deputy accountable. CBS News repeatedly asked the deputy who was involved in this incident for comment, but he did not respond. The county settled with Skube’s lawsuit without admitting any liability.
Greer, along with dozens of other people, also sued Sangamon County. Even in settlement cases, the sheriff’s office and officers involved have denied all wrongdoing.
There are no consequences for the actions of these officers. I don’t mind if someone breaks into my home. Skube now says, “I would never call police to protect me.”
Accountability within the sheriff department
Crouch believes that only action will be able reassure the public. She said that she could only speak about her own leadership experience.
She said, “I don’t know what happened before I arrived here.” Since I became sheriff, I haven’t heard any complaints about that person.
She said she does not think that the department has an issue with policing.
“Do you come across bad employees?” Crouch said that “probably every agency has encountered these people.”
Sean Grayson was the deputy who shot Massey and pleaded guilty to murder. He is currently in jail, awaiting his trial.
