Witnesses, first responders, FBI agents and more testify as trial of Sayfullo Saipov enters third week
NEW YORK -- The third week of the trial of Sayfullo Saipov started on Monday. He is charged with driving onto the bike path on the West Side Highway and killing eight bicyclists on Halloween in 2017.
He has said he did it in the name of ISIS.
The prosecution rested its case on Monday.
Video entered into evidence shows Saipov veer off the West Side Highway and onto the bike path, ramping up speed after a group of cyclists. Another angle shows him barreling down the path.
From one vantage point, a vehicle can be seen with what appears to be front-end damage narrowly miss two cyclists.
Eight others were killed when Saipov admittedly drove onto the path at Pier 40 and mowed them down, with no remorse.
Others were badly injured.
On Monday, we heard about a German tourist who was left unconscious after being struck. Her lung filled with blood and she also had a ruptured spleen and broken bones.
Saipov was only stopped after crashing into a school bus. An adult and two children on board suffered serious injuries to the brain, liver and lung.
The prosecution rested its case after calling survivors to the stand -- witnesses, first responders, FBI special agents, and crash and jihadist group experts.
Saipov told investigators he conducted the attack in order to become a member of ISIS. He offered to plead guilty to avoid the death penalty, but was rejected, so he pleaded not guilty to the 28-count indictment against him.
The defense says he is guilty of murder, but argues he did not provide material support to the Islamic State, that he was just a supporter with no real connection to the terrorist organization.
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In court, portions of calls to his mother from jail were played in which he called himself a "soldier of the caliphate."
The defense filed a motion for acquittal. Saipov told the judge he does not plan to testify and the defense is not calling any witnesses.
Closing arguments are expected on Tuesday.
