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| Fla. prosecutor: FBI agent justified in shooting death of friend of Boston bombing suspect | Fla. prosecutor: FBI agent justified in shooting death of friend of Boston bombing suspect |
| (6 months later) | |
| An FBI agent shot a Chechen man linked to a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing six times in the torso and once in the head after a heated altercation last year in a Florida apartment, according to a report released Tuesday. | An FBI agent shot a Chechen man linked to a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing six times in the torso and once in the head after a heated altercation last year in a Florida apartment, according to a report released Tuesday. |
| The report, by a Florida state prosecutor, outlines for the first time the events inside an Orlando apartment that led an unidentified FBI agent to open fire with his .40-caliber Glock and kill Ibragim Todashev, 27, a mixed martial-arts fighter. | The report, by a Florida state prosecutor, outlines for the first time the events inside an Orlando apartment that led an unidentified FBI agent to open fire with his .40-caliber Glock and kill Ibragim Todashev, 27, a mixed martial-arts fighter. |
| The FBI has cleared the agent in the shooting, a decision that was backed by the Justice Department. With Tuesday’s release of the lengthy report, the Florida prosecutor, Jeffrey L. Ashton, officially declined to prosecute the agent. | The FBI has cleared the agent in the shooting, a decision that was backed by the Justice Department. With Tuesday’s release of the lengthy report, the Florida prosecutor, Jeffrey L. Ashton, officially declined to prosecute the agent. |
| “My conclusion, based upon the facts presented to me in this investigation, is that the actions of the Special Agent of the FBI were justified in self-defense and in the defense of another,” Ashton said in a letter to FBI Director James B. Comey. “There is no evidence . . . the Special Agent of the FBI committed intentional misconduct or acted with any degree of malice.” | “My conclusion, based upon the facts presented to me in this investigation, is that the actions of the Special Agent of the FBI were justified in self-defense and in the defense of another,” Ashton said in a letter to FBI Director James B. Comey. “There is no evidence . . . the Special Agent of the FBI committed intentional misconduct or acted with any degree of malice.” |
| According to the report, the FBI agent, two Massachusetts state troopers and another unidentified officer had gone to Orlando to question Todashev about a triple slaying in Waltham, Mass., on Sept. 11, 2011. | According to the report, the FBI agent, two Massachusetts state troopers and another unidentified officer had gone to Orlando to question Todashev about a triple slaying in Waltham, Mass., on Sept. 11, 2011. |
| Todashev was friends with Tamerlan Tsarnaev, one of two brothers accused of carrying out the Boston Marathon bombing in April. Todashev and Tsarnaev, who had been a promising amateur boxer, had known each other since 2008 and had trained together. | Todashev was friends with Tamerlan Tsarnaev, one of two brothers accused of carrying out the Boston Marathon bombing in April. Todashev and Tsarnaev, who had been a promising amateur boxer, had known each other since 2008 and had trained together. |
| On the evening of May 22, Todashev, who was accompanied by a friend, met the FBI agent and the other officers in the parking lot outside his apartment and invited them into his residence. An officer stayed behind with the friend while the others entered the apartment. | On the evening of May 22, Todashev, who was accompanied by a friend, met the FBI agent and the other officers in the parking lot outside his apartment and invited them into his residence. An officer stayed behind with the friend while the others entered the apartment. |
| The men talked for more than four hours, with Todashev admitting to “some involvement in the triple homicide,” according to the report. | The men talked for more than four hours, with Todashev admitting to “some involvement in the triple homicide,” according to the report. |
| Todashev agreed to write a confession, and one of the Massachusetts troopers left the apartment to make a prosecutor aware of the developments. As Todashev, working at a coffee table, completed his statement, the other state trooper sensed a change in his demeanor, the report says, and sent a text message expressing concern to the FBI agent, still in the apartment, and the trooper outside. | Todashev agreed to write a confession, and one of the Massachusetts troopers left the apartment to make a prosecutor aware of the developments. As Todashev, working at a coffee table, completed his statement, the other state trooper sensed a change in his demeanor, the report says, and sent a text message expressing concern to the FBI agent, still in the apartment, and the trooper outside. |
| “Be on guard. He is in vulnerable position to do something bad. Be on guard now. I see him looking around at times,” the text message read. | “Be on guard. He is in vulnerable position to do something bad. Be on guard now. I see him looking around at times,” the text message read. |
| Moments later, Todashev hurled the coffee table at the FBI agent, striking him in the back of the head, the report says. Instead of trying to escape, Todashev ran into the kitchen, and the bloodied FBI agent tried unsuccessfully to stop him. | |
| According to the report, Todashev emerged from the kitchen with a long pole and charged the state trooper. The FBI agent then fired several shots. | According to the report, Todashev emerged from the kitchen with a long pole and charged the state trooper. The FBI agent then fired several shots. |
| Todashev dropped to his knees but then sprung to his feet and lunged, causing the FBI agent to fire again, killing him, the report says. | Todashev dropped to his knees but then sprung to his feet and lunged, causing the FBI agent to fire again, killing him, the report says. |
| In his letter, Ashton said investigators don’t know what triggered Todashev’s outburst. He said investigators went to great lengths to learn as much about Todashev as possible. | In his letter, Ashton said investigators don’t know what triggered Todashev’s outburst. He said investigators went to great lengths to learn as much about Todashev as possible. |
| “The one common thread among all was the observation that he was, at his core, a fearless fighter,” Ashton writes. “Regardless of how beaten down he was, he simply didn’t have any quit in him. Perhaps on this occasion, he simply reverted to that basic aspect of his personality and chose to go down fighting.” | “The one common thread among all was the observation that he was, at his core, a fearless fighter,” Ashton writes. “Regardless of how beaten down he was, he simply didn’t have any quit in him. Perhaps on this occasion, he simply reverted to that basic aspect of his personality and chose to go down fighting.” |
| The results of the investigation didn’t provide much comfort to Todashev’s friends. “My reaction is outrage,” said Khusen Taramov, who was with Todashev the night he was killed. | The results of the investigation didn’t provide much comfort to Todashev’s friends. “My reaction is outrage,” said Khusen Taramov, who was with Todashev the night he was killed. |
| As part of the investigation, Ashton released photographs of the FBI agent’s head wound, which required 11 staples. | As part of the investigation, Ashton released photographs of the FBI agent’s head wound, which required 11 staples. |
| According to Ashton’s report, the law enforcement officers knew that the apartment wasn’t a secure location to interview Todashev, but they thought the risks were “outweighed by the potential benefits of obtaining his cooperation.” | According to Ashton’s report, the law enforcement officers knew that the apartment wasn’t a secure location to interview Todashev, but they thought the risks were “outweighed by the potential benefits of obtaining his cooperation.” |
| The FBI agent and other officers were aware of the Chechen’s martial-arts background and a previous assault charge. The investigation noted that law enforcement officers had interviewed Todashev before without incident. | The FBI agent and other officers were aware of the Chechen’s martial-arts background and a previous assault charge. The investigation noted that law enforcement officers had interviewed Todashev before without incident. |
| The report said that Todashev had bought a plane ticket for Russia and was scheduled to leave May 23 for Chechnya, a Russian republic, the day after the shooting. | The report said that Todashev had bought a plane ticket for Russia and was scheduled to leave May 23 for Chechnya, a Russian republic, the day after the shooting. |
| Wesley Lowery contributed to this report. | Wesley Lowery contributed to this report. |