The Brief

Former deputy Sean Grayson is on trial for the 2024 killing of Sonya Massey, who called 911 for help.

Grayson has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder.

The case has sparked debate over police use of force and transparency in hiring.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Fifteen months after Sonya Massey, a Black woman who had called 911 for help, was killed in her home, the former police officer who fired the fatal shot is set to go on trial.

What we know:

Sean Grayson, 31, a former deputy for the Sangamon County Sheriff's Department in central Illinois, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder.

The trial was scheduled to begin Wednesday with opening statements. If convicted of murder, Grayson faces a sentence of 45 years to life in prison. Prosec

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