PEORIA — A Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy testified on Oct. 22 that Sonya Massey “never said or did anything that made me think she was a threat” and that he was “distraught” over the fatal shooting of the 36-year-old Black woman inside of her home on July 6, 2024.
Attorneys for former deputy Sean Grayson, on trial in Peoria for Massey’s murder, said Dep. Dawson Farley only wanted to amend a field report after Grayson indicted less than two weeks after the shooting and that the deputy was still on probation at the time.
Emotions were also on display when Massey’s mother, Donna Massey of Springfield, had to exit the courtroom when an unredacted version of the body-worn camera footage was played for the jurors. At least one juror looked away when Massey was shot. Other jurors had their hands on their heads.
Sontae Massey, Donna’s nephew, said afterwards that it was the first time he personally had seen the unredacted version of the footage.
“It’s rough,” Massey said, before heading out with family members.
Outside the courtroom, about 50 to 75 protesters, some carrying “Justice for Sonya Massey” signs, were lined up on Jefferson Street.
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Sheriff’s deputy ‘caught off guard’
Sangamon County Sheriff deputy Dawson Farley, Grayson’s partner, was one of the witnesses to take the stand on Wednesday. Farley’s testimony was among the most dramatic testimonies on the day.
While Farley said he didn’t think Massey was a threat, “it was Grayson’s actions that heightened my sense of awareness.”
Farley said he was “caught off guard” by Grayson’s reaction after the shooting, which didn’t follow police training.
“It’s your job to render aid (to someone who was shot),” Farley testified.
After trying to collect himself, Farley said he grabbed a towel and applied pressure to Massey’s head wound to try to stop the bleeding.
Farley said he wrote his field report on July 9 with two Fraternal Order of Police representatives and recalled it was “difficult…to relive the incident. I had to take several breaks.”
Farley testified that he later wanted to clarify his report about how Massey had lifted the pot of water because “I wanted to do right by Sonya Massey and her family.”
Under cross-examination, Fultz told Farley that Grayson’s indictment and murder charges “got your intention, didn’t it?”
Fultz reminded Farley that he had reported that he drew his weapon because he was “in danger from steaming hot water.”
Fultz asked Farley if he was “blaming mistakes on the FOP or (accepting responsibility),” to which the deputy answered that it was “my report.”
Farley was on probation with the sheriff’s office after getting hired from the Petersburg Police Department in September 2023. Farley acknowledged he could have been terminated during that year-long period.
‘Everyone was shocked’
Retired Sangamon County Sheriff Chief Deputy Anthony Mayfield was the state’s last witness to testify on Oct. 22.
Mayfield, who watched the body-worn camera footage with now-retired Sheriff Jack Campbell and Cpt. Audie Prange, said “the room was silent. You could hear a pin drop. I think everyone was shocked.”
As second in command, Mayfield testified that reviewed all internal complaints to decide if an investigation should be initiated. In Grayson’s case, one was and an investigation was completed on July 17, 2024, indicating that “policy violations” had occurred.
Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: ‘It’s rough.’ Massey family, jurors see unredacted bodycam footage during Grayson trial
Reporting by Steven Spearie, Springfield State Journal-Register / State Journal-Register
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