BOSTON — Former NFL player Aaron Hernandez, sporting a new neck tattoo while making his first court appearance since being sentenced to life in prison for murder, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to a charge he tried to silence a witness in a separate double murder case by shooting him in the face.
The tattoo, on the right side of his neck, includes the word “Lifetime” above a star. The bottom portion of the tattoo was obscured by his shirt collar.
It’s a violation of Massachusetts prison regulations to get a tattoo, to tattoo someone else or to possess tattoo paraphernalia while incarcerated. Possible sanctions include disciplinary detention for up to 10 days and loss of a privilege such as television or radio for up to 60 days. The Department of Correction did not immediately return calls seeking comment on whether Hernandez has been disciplined.
The former New England Patriots tight end was in a Boston courtroom Thursday to be arraigned on a witness intimidation charge in the shooting of his former friend Alexander Bradley.
In court Thursday, prosecutor Patrick Haggan said Bradley witnessed the shooting. Seven months later, Haggan said, Hernandez and Bradley were at a nightclub near Riviera Beach, Florida, when Hernandez told Bradley he saw two men he believed were undercover police officers watching him.
Bradley responded by saying, “It’s probably because of the stupid stuff you did up there in Boston,” Haggan said.
The next night, the two men went to another nightclub. They argued over the bill and over a phone Bradley left behind, Haggan said. Bradley fell asleep on the ride back to their hotel, and when he woke up, Hernandez was pointing a handgun at his face, Haggan said.
Bradley suffered a near-fatal wound, resulting in the loss of his right eye, Haggan said. He said Bradley was pushed out of the car and Hernandez drove away.
Photos via Stephan Savoia/Associated Press
