August 13, 2025
Illinois has enacted a police reform bill in honor of police shooting victim Sonya Massey.
Just over a year after police fatally shot Sonya Massey in her home, Illinois has introduced a police reform bill named in her memory.
On August 12, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Sonya Massey Bill into law, ABC 7 Chicago reported. Officially known as Senate Bill 1953, the legislation enforces stricter hiring standards for law enforcement, requiring departments to thoroughly review a candidate’s history, including past disciplinary actions and misconduct, before hiring them.
“When Sonya Massey feared for her safety, she did what anyone would do-she called law enforcement for help,” Pritzker said. “Communities should be able to trust that when they call the police to their home, the responding officer will be well-trained and without a history of bias or misconduct.”
“Today, I sign Sonya Massey’s Bill to help prevent these tragedies, to better equip law enforcement to keep our communities safe, and to continue working to build a justice system that protects all of our citizens,” he added.
State Senator Doris Turner introduced the bill in January after the community called for a more rigorous pre-hiring process for law enforcement. Those demands grew louder with the formation of the Massey Commission, created to address public concerns. The bill gained bipartisan support, with endorsements from law enforcement advocacy groups and civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who celebrated its signing into law in a post on X.
“Stricter hiring rules for Illinois officers are a step toward protecting citizens and preventing more families from joining the fraternity of grief, no one should ever be part of. Thank you, Gov. Pritzker,” Crump tweeted.
Sonya Massey, 36, was unarmed and holding a pot of hot water when she was fatally shot on July 6, 2024, by former Sangamon County Deputy Sheriff Sean Grayson. Grayson had responded to Massey’s 911 call about a possible intruder and fired three shots after she picked up the pot from her stove.
The shooting was deemed unjustified, leading to Grayson’s murder charge and a trial set to begin in October. Officials later revealed that Grayson had worked in six different law enforcement jobs over four years and had two DUIs on his record before becoming a deputy. The Sangamon County sheriff who hired him ultimately resigned amid mounting pressure from the scandal.
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