Nationally renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Massey's family, said in July weeks after Massey was killed that the Justice Department was investigating the shooting but did not have additional details about the scope of the probe. The Justice Department in its eight-page letter asks for the county's cooperation in providing records in nearly 30 different areas.
In addition to all records related to the shooting of Massey, the Justice Department's information requests encompass how the sheriff's office responds to mental health crises, its hiring practices, the racial makeup of people in traffic stops and use-of-force incidents, the office's handling of past discrimination complaints, and more.