Chelsea Bombing Suspect Pleads Not Guilty To Attempted Murder In NJ Police Shootout

ELIZABETH, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The man accused of setting off bombs in New Jersey and New York, injuring more than 30 people, pleaded not guilty to five counts of attempted murder charges on Tuesday.

Wearing a bullet proof vest, Ahmad Khan Rahimi was surrounded by sheriff's officers as he limped into the Union County courtroom for his first in-person court appearance, WCBS 880's Kelly Waldron reported.

An attorney previously entered not-guilty pleas when the Afghan-born U.S. citizen was hospitalized with gunshot wounds from the shootout.

Rahimi is accused of trying to kill police officers before they captured him Sept. 19 outside a bar in Linden. Officers Angel Padilla and Peter Hammer were injured in the shootout. Padilla was hit in the vest, while Hammer was struck by bullet fragments.

First deputy assistant prosecutor Anne Luvera told the judge she will not be offering a plea deal in the case, saying they want to move to trial as soon as possible, Waldron reported.

He's also accused of detonating a pipe bomb along the route of a Marine Corps charity race in Seaside Park, and planting two pressure cooker bombs in New York City on Sept. 17. One of those devices did not explode. The other one detonated in Chelsea, injuring 30 people. No one was injured in the New Jersey blast.

If convicted of all charges, Rahimi could face a mandatory life prison sentence.

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