Chelsea Bomb Suspect Indicted On Charges Of Trying To Kill Linden Police Officers

ELIZABETH, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A Union County, New Jersey grand jury on Wednesday returned a 30-count indictment against Chelsea bomb suspect Ahmad Khan Rahimi, accusing him of trying to kill police officers in a shootout before he was apprehended.

Rahimi, 28, whose last name has also been spelled Rahami, was charged in the indictment with five counts of first-degree attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, multiple counts of second-, third-, and fourth-degree aggravated assault, two second-degree weapons offenses, and fourth-degree possession of a high-capacity magazine.

Rahimi previously pleaded not guilty in New Jersey to charges related to the shootout with police officers in Linden that led to his capture on Sept. 19.

Linden police officers Angel Padilla and Peter Hammer were injured in the shootout. Padilla was hit in the vest, while Hammer was struck by bullet fragments.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo released a statement in the wake of the latest indictment.

"I condemn in the strongest of terms the bombings perpetrated against the people of New York and New Jersey in September. New York has zero tolerance for those who seek to spread fear and division, and we will continue to stand united in the face of terror. I applaud the State Police, local law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney's Office for their swift and diligent work on this matter," Cuomo said in the statement. "Today's indictment charging defendant Ahmed Khan Rahimi is an important milestone for those impacted by this hateful act, and I am confident that justice will be served."
Rahimi is separately facing federal terrorism charges.

Rahimi is accused of detonating a pipe bomb along the route of a Marine Corps charity race in Seaside Park, New Jersey, and planting two pressure cooker bombs in New York City. One of those devices did not explode. The other one detonated in Chelsea, injuring 30 people.

The federal charges against Rahimi include using weapons of mass destruction and bombing a place of public use.

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