Yusef Salaam, falsely accused in an infamous case and target of Donald Trump’s call for the death penalty, has won a seat on the New York City Council.

Yusef Salaam, once the target of a death penalty call initiated by Donald Trump, has now won a seat on the New York City Council. Salaam, part of the group known as the “Central Park Five,” was acquitted of a 1989 assault charge and won the current election unopposed after previously winning a Democratic primary, reported “USA Today“. Speaking to the Associated Press, Salaam emphasized that he is an advocate for the pain he has experienced and intends to use his experiences to lead his community.

Innocently convicted people

Salaam and his co-defendants were wrongfully imprisoned for the rape of a white jogger, a case that received widespread attention and was accompanied by Trump’s public calls for the death penalty. USA Today mentions that it was DNA evidence that exonerated Salaam and the others.