NEW JERSEY — Chelsea bombing suspect Ahmad Khan Rahimi pleaded not guilty Thursday to attempting to murder five New Jersey police officers.
Rahimi, 28, whose court hearing has been delayed for days because he's reportedly been unconscious in a Newark hospital since his arrest, had a bedside arraignment over video link in Union County Court.
He said only "yes" or nodded and his lawyer at the hospital, public defender Peter Liguori, pleaded not guilty on his behalf to the six charges of attempted murder and possession of a handgun without a permit.
Charges regarding the bombing in Chelsea were not mentioned at the hearing.
Liguroi also asked Judge Regina Caulfield to correct the spelling of Rahimi's name from Rahami.
Rahimi, of Elizabeth, N.J., is believed to have planted two pressure cooker bombs in Chelsea last month, with one going off and injuring nearly 31 people, according to federal prosecutors.
The other bomb was accidentally deactivated by two people when they swiped a suitcase it was in, DNAinfo New York first reported.
Rahimi is also accused of planting bombs in Seaside and Elizabeth, New Jersey. They didn't injure anyone.
On Sept. 19, Rahimi was captured after a shootout with police in Linden, New Jersey. injuring two officers, police said. Rahimi was also shot.
He was charged with attempted murder for shooting at the officers and is being held on $5.2 million bail, Caulfield said.
Aside from the New Jersey charges, federal prosecutors have also charged Rahimi with using a weapon of mass destruction, bombing a public place, destruction of property by means of fire or explosive and use of a destructive device during a crime of violence.
He faces up to life in prison if convicted of those charges.
