Aaron Hernandez: 'I felt helpless' when police questioned me unlawfully
In a potentially major development in the murder trial of former NFL tight end Aaron Hernandez, the accused issued a statement claiming police who questioned him at his home acted unlawfully.
"I felt helpless in the face of the occupation of my house by the police," Hernandez said in a sworn statement filed in an attempt to suppress evidence, via The Boston Globe. "I was also very concerned about what would happen to my fiance and our baby if I refused to answer their questions. I did not feel free to leave at any time during the search."
Hernandez accused police officers of having a "confrontational manner" when they first came to his home, adding that they persisted to question him even when he invoked his right to counsel.
Hernandez's lawyers assert that the questioning that occurred while police searched their client's home took place without the proper Miranda warning and, thus, all evidence that followed must be thrown out.
Hernandez pleaded not guilty to the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd. He also faces murder charges in the 2012 deaths of two Boston men.