The suspect in the deadly July 4th stabbing that left a man dead on a Broadway sidewalk has pleaded not guilty.

Sana Ceesay, 53, entered his plea Thursday, according to court records. He is charged with first degree murder.

Prosecutors say Ceesay stabbed his victim 13 times in the back, neck, and chest in the early morning assault. Fontaine Jackson, 45, suffered multiple stab wounds and died outside the gas station at Broadway and Pike.

According to the police report on the 3:30 AM incident, witnesses tried to stop the attack, pelting Ceesay with a rock and finally using pepper spray to send him fleeing from the scene. He was detained by private security near Pine and Boylston where police took him into custody. Video of the attack was captured on a Seattle Department of Transportation traffic camera.

Ceesay told officers he attacked Jackson over a stolen phone charging cord. In the Seattle Police report, an Edmonds apartment is listed as Ceesay’s home address but both he and the victim have listed addresses at Seattle homelessness facilities in recent arrest reports, according to court documents.

Ceesay has had multiple recent run-ins with the law and past convictions including harassment, threats, and assault. He remains in King County Jail held on $2 million bail.

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