Illinois law now requires that prospective police officers approve the release of personal background records in response to last summer’s shooting of Sonya Massey, an unarmed Black woman, in her home by a sheriff’s deputy who had responded to her call for help.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday is expected to sign new legislation requiring more thorough background checks before hiring police officers, a law inspired by the shooting death of Sonya Massey.Massey was shot and killed by former Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy Sean Grayson in July 2024 inside her home near Springfield.

The law requires extensive background checks before Illinois police agencies hire officers. It was named for Sonya Massey, who was shot and killed in her home near Springfield by a deputy who had a string of prior discipline complaints.