Jurors in the Dzkokhar Tsarnaev trial were shown surveillance video of the convicted Boston Marathon bomber flipping off a security camera in the courthouse.
A prosecutor had shown a picture of Tsarnaev making the obscene gesture to the jury in US District Court in Boston at the end of her opening statement in the penalty phase of the trial on Tuesday, underlining her argument that he was “unconcerned, unrepentant, and unchanged” after the attack.
On Wednesday, video of the incident, which happened on July 10, 2013, was shown to jurors at the request of Tsarnaev’s defense team.
Tsarnaev was being held in a cell prior to his arraignment in court on the charges for which he was convicted earlier this month.
Even though the sideways “V” sign can be an offensive gesture in some countries, at least one friend of Tsarnaev’s said he doubts Tsarneav meant it in that way.
Tsarnaev’s lawyers tried to argue that the “V” sign was a “goofy” gesture he and his friends often did for photos. The defense was unable to spin the middle finger because that one is pretty cut and dry.
The video itself is oddly chilling. Even though he’s not doing anything sinister, it’s unsettling to watch Tsarnaev fuss over his hair and act like just another normal douchebag after his heinous actions.
The introduction of the footage also led to this memorable courtroom sketch, which definitely says its requisite 1,000 words.
Courtroom sketch of the #Tsarnaev middle finger photo. pic.twitter.com/zEmRWN5yAv
— WBUR Live (@wburLive) April 21, 2015
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[H/T: Boston Globe]