An Afghan man appeared in court just about from his hospital mattress on Tuesday to plead not guilty to charges related to the shooting of two National Guardsmen in Washington, DC.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal is accused of capturing two National Guard members close to the White House final week. One of them, Sarah Beckstrom, died from her accidents a day later. The different sufferer, Andrew Wolfe, stays in essential situation.
DC Superior Court Magistrate Judge Renee Raymond ordered Lakanwal held with out bond earlier than trial.
“No condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure the safety of the community,” the choose mentioned, in deciding to hold the defendant detained.
“It is fairly clear that he came across the country, 3,000 miles, armed, with a specific purpose in mind,” the choose added.
Lakanwal was hospitalized after being shot Wednesday. He appeared just about from a hospital mattress on Tuesday in Washington, DC, superior court. As the choose started, the man could possibly be seen wiggling and shifting in his mattress, all however his head lined by a blanket.
The man mumbled his identify when requested by way of squinted eyes. He mentioned, by way of a translator, he can’t open his eyes.
“I have pain,” he mentioned.
Lakanwal was charged with a number of crimes together with premeditated murder and assault with intent to kill. He pleaded not guilty to all counts, a lawyer appointed to the case instructed DC Superior Court Magistrate Judge Renee Raymond.
An interpreter accompanied Lakanwal in the digital listening to translating between Pashto and English.
One of Lakanwal’s attorneys, Terrence Austin, argued that his shopper must be launched. He mentioned the Justice Department took too lengthy to cost Lakanwal and mentioned he had no prior felony document.
A prosecutor argued that the seriousness of the charges — together with first diploma murder whereas armed — name for him to be detained pretrial. The prosecutor additionally argued the man has no ties to the metropolis, and no situations might guarantee the security of the group.
Lankanwal spent the previous few years dwelling in Washington state together with his household. He got here to the US in 2021 after working with US forces in Afghanistan earlier than the US army withdrew from the nation.
DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro was sitting in the entrance row of the courtroom all through the listening to, with a US marshal seated subsequent to her.
Austin mentioned throughout the listening to Tuesday that the jury pool was being tainted by public press conferences concerning the case.
After the listening to, Pirro exited by way of the again of the courtroom and held a press convention exterior the courthouse.
“We have no idea who he is, he has no connections to the community,” Pirro mentioned.
When requested about the demise penalty, she added, “That is a very weighty decision, That is a decision that comes later in time. That is one that ultimately one that the attorney general will make.”
Lankanwal is scheduled to seem in court subsequent on January 14.
In a charging document launched Tuesday, prosecutors say Lakanwal screamed “Allahu Akbar” whereas he opened fireplace in Northwest downtown Washington, DC.
In an eight-page court submitting, legislation enforcement described intimately the scene of the capturing, with troopers Beckstrom and Wolfe speaking and on patrol simply after 2pm ET on November 26 when gunfire erupted.
The two victims fell to the floor and noticed the defendant, the affidavit mentioned.
Investigators say they had been ready to monitor Lakanwal’s actions earlier than the capturing by way of a surveillance video from close to the Farragut West metro station in DC. The man was standing on the sidewalk close to the station for a couple of minute then ran towards the intersection, and round the nook.
The surveillance digicam captured the second the two troopers collapsed to the floor. It additionally captured Lakanwal apparently “chasing and shooting at” one other witness and bending down close to the two victims he had shot, investigators wrote.
This story is growing and shall be up to date.