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.

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.