Sangamon County has reached an agreement with the family of Sonya Massey through mediation, with both sides agreeing to a proposed $10 million settlement. The settlement awaits final approval from the County Board at its February 11th meeting.
Sangamon County Board Chairman Andy Van Meter said, ”No price paid can take back the actions of a rogue former deputy, but this agreement is an effort to provide some measure of recompense to the Massey family for their unimaginable loss.”The county remains committed to working with the community to strengthen policies to try to ensure tragedies like this never happen again.”
The fatal shooting of Sonya Massey by a former Sangamon County deputy sparked widespread public outcry and led to calls for increased oversight and accountability within the county’s law enforcement agencies. In response, county officials pledged to review and improve crisis intervention protocols, enhance de-escalation training, and strengthen community engagement efforts.
County officials say this settlement is part of Sangamon County’s ongoing efforts to address the tragic death of Sonya Massey. In addition to this agreement, the county is focused on improving its policies and practices through its memorandum of agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice. That agreement establishes measures to refine crisis response, enhance training, and build community trust. The county pledged to continue to work to ensure that its law enforcement and emergency response systems operate effectively, with necessary safeguards in place to prevent future tragedies. Following Massey’s death, the county established the Massey Commission, an independent body tasked with evaluating policies and recommending improvements. Through these efforts, Sangamon County aims to create lasting improvements that benefit both residents and first responders.
Brian McFadden, Sangamon County Administrator, explained that the settlement will be covered using existing financial reserves: “The settlement will be paid from reserves and contingency lines within the various funds of County government. County funds have a record of being managed responsibly and conservatively year-to-year, and one of the benefits is that we are able to establish and maintain reserves to cover situations such as this, a large one-time expense outside the normal operations of County government. There are no plans to issue debt, raise taxes or cut programs to pay for this settlement.”
The Sangamon County Board will meet at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 11th, to discuss and vote on the final approval of the settlement agreement.