Andrew Lester pleaded not guilty to first-degree assault and armed criminal action as he made his first appearance over the shooting of Ralph Yarl on Wednesday in Clay County Court.
Following the hearing Lee Merritt, the lawyer for Ralph Yarl’s family, told reporters that the shooting was now being probed by the Justice Department as a hate crime.
“Before I even made it to Kansas City, we reached out to the Department of Justice, myself and my co-counsel Ben Crump, we have some longstanding relationships there,” Mr Merritt said, according to KCUR.
Earlier, a new photo captured Black teenager Ralph Yarl back home recovering from his injuries after he was shot in the head and arm by white homeowner Andrew Lester, when the teen accidentally got the wrong house to pick up his younger brothers.
Lee Merritt, the civil rights attorney representing the family, posted a photo on Twitter of himself with the 16-year-old.
“Ralph Yarl is home and recovering! How the bullet in his head did not cause more extensive damage is truly a miracle. To God be the glory!” wrote Mr Merritt.
Key points
- Andrew Lester to be arraigned in court today
- Shooting suspect’s family breaks silence for first time
- Ralph Yarl’s aunt says he ‘lost a part of himself’ in shooting
- Ralph Yarl GoFundMe tops $3.2m
- Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Kardashian voice outrage over shooting