Bomb dumpster to be evidence
Manhattan federal prosecutors plan to cart a dumpster before jurors at the Oct. 2 trial of Ahmad Rahimi, who is accused of planting two bombs in Manhattan last year, including one that sent the debris container flying 120 feet in the air.
The feds requested “to bring into the 500 Pearl St. courthouse a dumpster, which is a proposed exhibit at trial,” according to a short written ruling from Manhattan federal Judge Richard Berman OK’ing the request.
The dumpster must be officially admitted as evidence before it is displayed to the jurors, the judge said.
Rahimi, 29, stands accused of planting two homemade explosive devices in Chelsea in September 2017, injuring more than 30 people.
One device — a pressure cooker left outside 135 W. 23rd St. — was so powerful, it propelled the 100-pluspound dumpster in which it was planted 120 feet in the air, the feds have said.
The other explosive de- vice, located at 131 W. 27th St., did not detonate.
Prosecutors did not comment on the details of their request when leaving court Thursday.
They have previously told the judge they intend to admit as evidence “a video that scans 23rd Street” between Sixth and Seventh avenues. The video will show the aftermath of the blast on 23rd Street, including the dumpster.
It will provide “an aerial view so that the jurors will be able to see the extent of the spread of the fragmentation,” prosecutors have said.
Eight men and four women were selected for the jury after two days of a selection process that ended on Thursday.