An Illinois sheriff’s deputy has testified against Sean Grayson, his partner and the former sheriff’s deputy who faces charges for fatally shooting Sonya Massey at her home after she called police to report a possible intruder.

Deputy Dawson Farley, who responded to Massey’s home with Grayson in July 2024, testified in court on Wednesday and said Massey didn’t appear to be a “threat.”

“She never did anything that made me think she was a threat,” Farley said on the stand, according to ABC News. He also said in his testimony that he wanted to “do right” by Massey by testifying for the prosecution.

Sean Grayson faces first-degree murder charges

Grayson is also facing aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct. However, attorney Daniel Fultz told ABC News that his client Grayson has “pleaded not guilty to all charges.”

Fultz told the jurors to consider all the possibilities before they come to a conclusion in the case.

“Making your mind up early closes the possibility you will miss facts that will affect your decision,” Fultz said, per ABC News.

The attorney also said Grayson “believed that he would suffer great bodily harm or death” when he encountered Massey.

“Ms. Massey made the decision to lift the pot of boiling water above her head to attempt to throw that at Dept. Grayson,” Fultz said, ABC News reported. “It was at that moment and only at that moment that Dept. Grayson discharged his weapon.”

What does bodycam footage reveal about Sonya Massey’s encounter with Sean Grayson?

Illinois police released body camera footage in July 2024 that shows some of the details from Massey’s fatal encounter with the deputies. The footage shows Massey answering the door and immediately telling the two deputies, “Please, don’t hurt me.” 

“I don’t want to hurt you; you called us,” Grayson responded.

While Massey was searching for her ID, Grayson spotted a pot of boiling water on the stove and told her, “We don’t need a fire while we’re in here.”

Massey appeared to be pouring water from the pot into the sink while telling Grayson, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” 

While Grayson threatened to shoot her at that point, Massey apologized and hid behind a counter. When Massey briefly came out of her hiding spot, Grayson shot her three times. An autopsy report later determined that Massey died from gunshot wounds to her head.

The Illinois State Police determined that Grayson was not justified in using deadly force. In July 2024, Grayson was fired by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office.