Latest news with #SangamonCountySheriff'sOffice
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Yahoo
Broadwell man arrested in connection with Sangamon Co. hit-and-run crash
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — A Broadwell man has been arrested in connection to a hit-and-run crash that injured a bicyclist in Williamsville last week. The Sangamon County Sheriff's Office told WCIA they made the arrest the day after a 40-year-old bicyclist was struck by a van on Dinnius Road. As the investigation continued, deputies confirmed that the van in question was a Honda Odyssey that law enforcement had encountered before. Man arrested after alleged armed carjacking, chase that ended in Logan County The registered owner was Joseph Trueblood, officials said, and deputies learned his address from that prior encounter. Along with deputes from the Logan County Sheriff's Office, Sangamon County deputies went to his home in Broadwell. They found Trueblood and his van there. Officials said he admitted to driving the van and hitting the cyclist. Trueblood was arrested and booked into the Sangamon County Jail for failing to report the accident and because he was wanted on a separate arrest warrant issued by Sangamon County. He was also issued seven traffic tickets for the following offenses: Leaving the scene of an accident Failure to yield Failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident Failure to render aid Driver's License expired more than a year Operating an uninsured motor vehicle Operating a motor vehicle with suspended registration Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Illinois bill calls for more thorough review of police hiring after Sonya Massey's death
The Brief The Illinois Senate passed a bill that calls for a more thorough review of prospective police officers' work history. The sponsor of the bill cited the police shooting death of Sonya Massey near Springfield last year. The former officer charged in her death had worked at six different police agencies in just a few years before the shooting death. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The Illinois Senate approved a bill that calls for a more thorough review of prospective police officers' work history in the wake of the police shooting death of Sonya Massey last year in Sangamon County. What we know Senate Bill 1953, sponsored by Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield) would require law enforcement agencies to "conduct a more comprehensive review of a prospective officer's past employment to ensure his or her physical and psychological fitness for duty," according to a news release. The Senate unanimously passed the bill on Wednesday. It now heads to the House of Representatives for passage in that chamber. The backstory Turner's office said the legislation was filed in response to the shooting death of Massey, 36, in her Springfield area home in July of 2024. She was experiencing a mental health crisis when she called officers to her home. Sean Grayson, a Sangamon County sheriff's deputy at the time, was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the killing. He pleaded not guilty. Grayson's career included short stints as a part-time officer at three small police departments and a full-time job at a fourth department in central Illinois, according to The Associated Press. He had also worked full time at another sheriff's office in Illinois before being hired by the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office in May 2023, a little over a year before Massey's death. The Sangamon County Board approved a $10 million settlement with Massey's family earlier this year. What they're saying Turner said in a statement that her legislation came about after hearing from local officials and community members seeking steps to prevent such police shootings in the future. "Sonya's tragic murder brought to light the unjust hiring practices within the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office," she said. "The legislative measures come from conversations with state and county officials, law enforcement and community members. We have to take the necessary steps to ensure this never happens again." The Assocated Press contributed to this report.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Yahoo
Sangamon County Sheriff's office ending partnership with DCFS
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — The Sangamon County Sheriff's Office has stopped its contract with a state department. Sangamon County officials confirmed with WCIA Thursday they are no longer having two deputies assist the Department of Children and Family Services full-time. 'Two different interpretations of the law': Veterans Assistance Commission sues Sangamon County over funding dispute The decision to discontinue the state agency's contract was made based on operational need at the Sheriff's Department, Sheriff Paula Crouch said in a statement to WCIA. 'Based on current staffing levels, I felt it was necessary to discontinue the DCFS contract and utilize those two deputies to assist with day-to-day operations within Sangamon County,' the sheriff said. Crouch emphasized that DCFS case workers can still call dispatch to get an officer or deputy for visits they think think will have a risk to safety in any jurisdiction in the state. Both offices have discussed deputies assisting 'on a part-time basis.' In Jan. 2022, DCFS case worker Deidre Silas was stabbed and killed during a house visit in Thayer. Benjamin Reed pleaded insanity, and a judge ruled him guilty but mentally ill. He was sentenced to life in prison. Gov. Pritzker signs KIND Act A DCFS spokesperson gave the following statement on the end of their partnership: 'Illinois DCFS appreciates the support that the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office has provided to the agency in the interest of our shared goals of child safety and well-being. DCFS and the Sherriff's Office are currently in discussions about ways in which we can continue to support each other.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Yahoo
Sonya Massey's killing sheds light on prior civil rights complaints
On Tuesday, officials approved a $10 million settlement for the family of Sonya Massey, who was shot and killed in her kitchen by a Sangamon County sheriff's deputy in July after Massey called about a possible prowler outside her home. It's the largest ever paid by the county. In the wake of Massey's killing in Illinois, members of the community were outraged. The sheriff at the time of Massey's killing resigned, and Sheriff Paula Crouch took the position in September. "I will do my best to hold my employees accountable and to make sure they are following not only our policies and procedures but the laws that are in place as well," said Crouch. After Massey's killing, a CBS News investigation found dozens of civil rights complaints against the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office in Illinois going back 20 years. Investigation reveals years of civil rights complaints Over the past six months, CBS News obtained surveillance, body and dash cam videos, crime scene photos, law enforcement documents and court records related to more than 50 civil rights complaints filed by families in Sangamon County over the last 20 years. The complaints allegations of false arrests, excessive force and death. During the investigation, CBS News interviewed more than a dozen people who allege police misconduct in the county. The allegations involve multiple deputies and corrections officers, not just the ones mentioned in this story. When Billie Greer saw the video of Massey, her reaction was that she thought it could have happened to her. In 2022, Greer got a knock on her door by a different Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy than the one who shot Massey. When she declined to accept court paperwork for a relative, she said a longtime deputy followed her to an elderly neighbor's home where she was delivering food and arrested her. "'I thought, 'Oh, he could easily shoot me,'" Greer said. "I was terrified." Eleven years before Greer was arrested for no reason, the same deputy pulled over Cliffton Flagg and his then girlfriend, Tamara Skube, who was blasted by a Taser twice. Skube said she has a scar from where the taser hit her the first time. She filed a federal lawsuit over the incident. She said the judge in her case determined unlawful use of force was used, but said the sheriff's office did nothing to hold the deputy accountable. The deputy involved in the incident did not respond to multiple requests for comment from CBS News. The county settled the suit with Skube without admitting liability. Greer and dozens of others also sued Sangamon County. In every case, the sheriff's office and the officers involved denied any wrongdoing, even in cases where the county settled. "There's no repercussions for what these officers are out there doing. I don't care if somebody's breaking into my house. I would never call the police to come protect me," Skube says now. Accountability in the sheriff's department Crouch said she thinks only actions will be able to reassure the community. As for past accountability, including for the officer involved in Greer and Skube's cases who is still on the force, she said she can only speak to her time in leadership. "I can't explain to you what happened before I came here," she said. "I haven't received any complaints against that person since I've been the sheriff." She added she doesn't think the department has a policing problem. "Do you run into bad employees? Probably every agency has had those people," Crouch said. The deputy who shot Massey, Sean Grayson, was charged with murder and has pleaded not guilty. He is in jail awaiting trial. Trump, Musk take questions at White House Flu deaths outpace COVID deaths in 22 states for first time since pandemic began New details on Trump's new tariffs memo as he meets with India's Modi
CBS News
13-02-2025
- CBS News
Residents describe interactions with Illinois sheriff's office tied to Sonya Massey's death: "I was terrified"
On Tuesday, officials approved a $10 million settlement for the family of Sonya Massey, who was shot and killed in her kitchen by a Sangamon County sheriff's deputy in July after Massey called about a possible prowler outside her home. It's the largest ever paid by the county. In the wake of Massey's killing in Illinois, members of the community were outraged. The sheriff at the time of Massey's killing resigned, and Sheriff Paula Crouch took the position in September. "I will do my best to hold my employees accountable and to make sure they are following not only our policies and procedures but the laws that are in place as well," said Crouch. After Massey's killing, a CBS News investigation found dozens of civil rights complaints against the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office in Illinois going back 20 years. Investigation reveals years of civil rights complaints Over the past six months, CBS News obtained surveillance, body and dash cam videos, crime scene photos, law enforcement documents and court records related to more than 50 civil rights complaints filed by families in Sangamon County over the last 20 years. The complaints allegations of false arrests, excessive force and death. During the investigation, CBS News interviewed more than a dozen people who allege police misconduct in the county. The allegations involve multiple deputies and corrections officers, not just the ones mentioned in this story. When Billie Greer saw the video of Massey, her reaction was that she thought it could have happened to her. In 2022, Greer got a knock on her door by a different Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy than the one who shot Massey. When she declined to accept court paperwork for a relative, she said a longtime deputy followed her to an elderly neighbor's home where she was delivering food and arrested her. "'I thought, 'Oh, he could easily shoot me,'" Greer said. "I was terrified." Eleven years before Greer was arrested for no reason, the same deputy pulled over Cliffton Flagg and his then girlfriend, Tamara Skube, who was blasted by a Taser twice. Skube said she has a scar from where the taser hit her the first time. She filed a federal lawsuit over the incident. She said the judge in her case determined unlawful use of force was used, but said the sheriff's office did nothing to hold the deputy accountable. The deputy involved in the incident did not respond to multiple requests for comment from CBS News. The county settled the suit with Skube without admitting liability. Greer and dozens of others also sued Sangamon County. In every case, the sheriff's office and the officers involved denied any wrongdoing, even in cases where the county settled. "There's no repercussions for what these officers are out there doing. I don't care if somebody's breaking into my house. I would never call the police to come protect me," Skube says now. Accountability in the sheriff's department Crouch said she thinks only actions will be able to reassure the community. As for past accountability, including for the officer involved in Greer and Skube's cases who is still on the force, she said she can only speak to her time in leadership. "I can't explain to you what happened before I came here," she said. "I haven't received any complaints against that person since I've been the sheriff." She added she doesn't think the department has a policing problem. "Do you run into bad employees? Probably every agency has had those people," Crouch said. The deputy who shot Massey, Sean Grayson, was charged with murder and has pleaded not guilty. He is in jail awaiting trial.
