Ibragim Todashev, a Chechen man who was shot and killed by FBI agents during an interview last week, was unarmed at the time of the incident law enforcement officers have revealed, the Washington Post reports.
Todashev, 27, was being questioned in his Orlando apartment by the FBI about his relationship with Boston marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev when he was shot and killed. The FBI has released very few details about what happened as the matter is still under investigation.
"The FBI takes very seriously any shooting incidents involving our agents and as such we have an effective, time-tested process for addressing them internally," a statement by FBI spokesman Paul Bresson said. "The review process is thorough and objective and conducted as expeditiously as possible under the circumstances."
Accounts of the incident by different law enforcement officers who were there conflicted with each other. One account said that Todashev brandished a knife; a different account said Todashev attempted to grab an agent's gun. Now, two separate officials speaking under conditions of anonymity with the Washington Post say that Todashev was unarmed.
Hassan Shibly, executive director of the Florida branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, has called for a civil rights investigation into the shooting of Todashev, according to USA Today.
"We have confirmed through senior sources within the FBI that Igbrahim was indeed unarmed when he was shot seven times in the head, what appears to be even in the back of the head," Shilby told USA Today. "That's very disturbing."
It is unclear whether or not Todashev had any knowledge of or role in the April 15 bombing; the FBI will only confirm that Todashev knew Tamerlan Tsarnaev when he lived in Boston.
Shortly after the shooting ABC News reported that Todashev was on the verge of signing a confession that admitted he played a role in the bombing. https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/fbi-shoots-florida-man-linked-boston-marathon-bombing/story?id=19231642#.UaeeiUA3uSr
Todashev's father, Abdulbaki Todashev, held a press conference in Moscow where he explained his belief that the FBI murdered his son.
"I want justice. I want an investigation," Todashev said. "They come to your house like bandits, and they shoot you."
The Washington Post reports that the elder Todashev has been given no details about his son's death from U.S. officials. Todashev has applied for a visa so that he can gather the remains of his son.
"Maybe my son knew some sort of information that that the police didn't want to get out," Todashev said. "They shut him up. That's my opinion."
