NEW YORK - A man who killed eight people on a New York City bike path in 2017 smiled as he proudly spoke of the carnage, asking to hang the flag of an Islamic militant group in his hospital room, a prosecutor said Monday in the first federal death penalty trial to commence since President Joe Biden took office.
“It wasn’t an accident. He did it intentionally,” Patton said, explaining that Saipov had immersed himself in terrorist audio and video materials and social media and was convinced a terror act was his religious obligation. Li said Saipov had hoped to kill others by driving onto the Brooklyn Bridge, “where he could mow down even more people.” The collision with the school bus left one child with serious brain damage. Saipov exited his truck with his guns, shouting an Arabic phrase, “Allahu akbar,” meaning “God is great.”An FBI agent who Saipov asked to display an “ISIS” flag in his hospital room will be among witnesses, Li said.
Judge Vernon S. Broderick told jurors that a conviction of Saipov would lead to a separate punishment phase in which they would be asked to decide whether he should spend life in prison or be executed. Unless they unanimously choose death, the sentence would be life in prison. Saipov spoke out during a pretrial hearing in 2019, saying “thousands and thousands of Muslims are dying all over the world” and questioning why he should be judged for eight deaths.
William Harris, the trial’s first witness, said he was driving a vehicle when he saw Saipov waving what looked like two pistols in the air “in a threatening manner.” He said he drove at Saipov, but Saipov dodged him. Harris said he chased Saipov on foot for five minutes until Saipov was shot.
That didn't take long at all
Law Law Latest News, Law Law Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: WOKVNews - 🏆 247. / 63 Read more »