US Justice Department, Illinois sheriff agree to policing upgrades after Sonya Massey shooting death

The U.S. Justice Department and a central Illinois sheriff’s office have reached a deal to address violations of federal anti-discrimination law in the shooting death of an unarmed Black woman, Sonya Massey, in her home last summer. The agreement includes increased training and use-of-force data reporting, as well as the firing and arrest of the deputy involved. The incident prompted an investigation by the Justice Department following a request for federal intervention from a county-created commission. The probe focused on the county’s compliance with civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination.