FBI Agents Sued Over Fatal Shooting Of Detroit Imam
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - The family of a Detroit mosque leader has filed a lawsuit against FBI agents, saying his rights were violated when he was gunned down during a raid.
Luqman Abdullah was killed when agents tried to arrest him at a Dearborn warehouse in 2009. He and his allies were accused of dealing stolen goods in an FBI sting operation.
A lawsuit filed Friday in federal court accuses the FBI of using excessive force in Abdullah's death. He was shot 20 times. The FBI has defended what happened, saying Abdullah was armed and resisted arrest.
The Michigan attorney general said the shooting was justified. The U.S. Justice Department's civil rights division also found no wrongdoing.
Lawsuits in this case were filed previously against other agencies including the Detroit police, Dearborn police and the Michigan Attorney General's office.
The FBI declined to comment on this latest lawsuit Tuesday.
The FBI said Abdullah was a leader of a radical Sunni group that wants to create an Islamic state within the U.S. His family has denied allegations that he was anti-government. He was married and had 10 children.
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