NORWICH – A bench trial for a former New York State Corrections Officer accused of attempted murder and assault in the first degree, both hate crime charges, will begin on Monday in Chenango County Court nearly two-and-a-half years after the incident took place.

In addition to the two hate crime charges, Wayne J. Spratley, of Greene, is charged with three other felony counts, including attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and first-degree criminal use of a firearm after a shooting that took place on July 19, 2015 in a parking lot on Lackawanna Avenue in Norwich around 3:30 a.m.

An African American victim is alleged to have been shot in his lower left abdomen by a Glock handgun that was fired by Spratley. It's further alleged that the act was preceded by racial epithets and was racially motivated.

Spratley will undergo a bench trial under the Hon. Frank B. Revoir, Jr. to determine if Spratley is guilty of the charges brought against him as a result of the incident occurred on July 19, 2015.