The Trigger

In reality, a white police officer shot and killed a Black man, sparking enormous social controversy, and FOX has ordered an event series based on this incident. The series is created by Gina Prince-Bythewood of Love & Basketball and Brian Grazer of Empire. Set in a small town in Tennessee, the events mirror reality but swap the races, becoming a Black police officer shooting a white teenager. Sanaa Lathan of Love & Basketball plays the female lead Ashe Akino, an investigation expert assigned by the U.S. Department of Justice to accompany a special prosecutor to the small town. They must uncover the truth as quickly as possible amid media attention, courtroom debates, and the town's unrest, to prevent the town from descending into riots. Helen Hunt plays Patricia Eamons, a fictional governor of North Carolina. Richard Dreyfuss plays Arlen Cox, a real estate tycoon who owns a private prison; he has a complex relationship with the shooting incident. Stephan James plays Preston Terry, a special prosecutor in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, who is focused on career victories, but his relentless pursuit comes at an emotional cost. The character is smooth and eloquent, able to talk with anyone from pastors to children on the street; he can also attract power-seeking Republican congressmen and ultimately achieves his goals. Tristan Wilds plays Officer Belk, a young African American deputy sheriff in a small North Carolina town, thrust into the national spotlight by a police shooting, throwing his life and family into chaos. Stephen Moyer plays Officer Breeland, an experienced officer under the town's sheriff, caught up in the investigation; Will Patton plays Sheriff Daniel Platt, whose jurisdiction and one of his officers are investigated after a police shooting. Aisha Hinds plays Reverend Janae James, a young female activist in the community; after exposing the hypocritical status quo, she enters the national public eye. DeWanda Wise plays Shameeka Campbell, who lives in 'the houses,' the worst part of town. She complains to the prosecutor that her son was killed by police, and that the police threatened to arrest her if she spoke out. Clare-Hope Ashitey plays Kerry Beck, the wife of Deputy Sheriff Joshua Beck, who struggles to maintain her family and life as media focus and pressure bear down on her husband. Jill Hennessy plays Alicia Carr, the wealthy mother of the teenager in the shooting. She is furious and grief-stricken that a police officer shot her son. She doesn't care about the investigation's policies and procedures; she just wants justice for her son. Conor Leslie plays Sarah Ellis, Governor Eamons' assistant, hardworking and capable, hoping to change the world while also saving money. Angel Bonanni plays Javier Cano, the female lead's ex-husband, with whom she co-parents a daughter; Alicia Sanz plays Paula, Javier Cano's new girlfriend, who has an unstable relationship with the female lead. Edwina Findley plays Shirlane, a reporter covering the shooting; Marqus Clae plays the rough Cory, who may know more about the shooting than he lets on; Shamier Anderson plays Maceo Terry, a professional American football player and Preston Terry's brother.