Andrew Lester, man accused of shooting Ralph Yarl, pleads not guilty
The 84-year-old man accused of shooting Ralph Yarl outside his Kansas City, Missouri, home after the 16-year-old rang the wrong doorbell pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Wednesday.
Andrew Lester turned himself over to police after he was charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action, two felonies that carry 10 to 30 years behind bars or life in prison.
Lester, who walked with the assistance of a cane, appeared before Clay County Circuit Court Judge Louis Angles wearing a blue and beige letterman-style jacket and khakis.
The senior could be seen nodding along to the judge’s instruction following his not-guilty plea.
Lester remains free from county jail after posting 10% of his $20,000 bond, with the condition that he is not allowed to leave the state and surrender his passport and concealed carry permit.
He will also be under the supervision of law enforcement and is not allowed to have any direct or indirect contact with Yarl or his family.
An attorney for Lester has yet to be listed in the court’s records. The defendant could not immediately be reached for comment.
Lester told police that on April 13, the night Yarl mistakenly rang his doorbell to pick up his twin brothers, he was just about to go to bed and feared that someone was trying to break into his home.
Lester, who was armed with a .32 caliber revolver, claimed he was “scared to death, describing the 16-year-old boy as a “black male approximately 6 feet tall pulling on the storm door handle.”
Yarl, however, told police he never touched the door and was “immediately shot in the head” by the homeowner.
After the first shot, Yarl fell to the ground and was blasted again in the arm. The boy then ran away, screaming for help, and Lester went on to call 911.
What we know about the Ralph Yarl shooting
Who is Yarl?
The black Missouri teen is “one of the top bass clarinet players in Missouri,” according to his family. The 16-year-old is also a part of his school’s Technology Student Association and Science Olympiad Team.
Why was he shot?
Yarl was shot in the head after he rang the wrong doorbell while trying to pick up his twin brothers at a home in Kansas City, Missouri.
Police said Yarl sustained life-threatening injuries when he was shot, and hundreds of protesters rallied after the gunman, 84-year-old Andrew D. Lester, was initially released.
The teen’s aunt talked about the terrifying incident on a GoFundMe page, which has raised more than $900,000.
What could happen to Lester?
The homeowner could spend the rest of his life in jail after prosecutors charged him with two felony counts.
Lester was charged with assault in the first degree and armed criminal action for the shooting, which had a “racial component,” according to the Clay County Prosecutor’s Office.
The charges carry 10 to 30 years behind bars, or life in prison, prosecutors said.
Yarl was hospitalized and in critical condition, before he was discharged and sent home, where his family said a team of medical professionals was caring for him.
The teen was pictured on Wednesday sitting outside with one of his attorneys, Lee Merritt.
His aunt, Faith Spoonmore, touted his miraculous recovery.
“A true miracle considering what he survived,” she wrote. “Each day is different. He has a long road ahead. However, we are very thankful that he is still here with us.”
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