Manhattan terror attack: Suspect Sayfullo Saipov pleads innocent to charges, says he acted for Islamic State

New York: A man accused of killing eight people in a truck rampage in New York on Halloween pleaded innocent today to murder and other charges. [caption id=“attachment_4186967” align=“alignleft” width=“379”] File image of the terror attack in New York. AP[/caption] Sayfullo Saipov was present in court before US District Judge Vernon Broderick but his lawyer David Patton spoke on his behalf. Saipov, 29 and originally from Uzbekistan, has said he acted in the name of the Islamic State group. He faced a 22-count indictment that includes charges of murder and provision of material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organisation. He appeared in court wearing a dark blue prison uniform. His feet were chained together, but not his hands. He appeared to have recovered from the shot he took in the abdomen from the police officer who arrested him after the attack. Saipov allegedly drove a rented pickup truck down a mile-long (1.6-kilometre) stretch of bike path in lower Manhattan, where children and their parents were preparing to celebrate Halloween. Of the eight people killed, five were friends from Argentina celebrating 30 years since their high school graduation. Twelve other people were hurt. President Donald Trump has called for Saipov to be executed, but a capital punishment case would be extremely rare in New York, which has abolished the death penalty at the state level. The 31 October attack was the worst in the US financial capital since the 11 September, 2001 Al-Qaeda plane hijackings that brought down the Twin Towers.