Police Report On Imam Shooting Released
Dearborn police have released a 300-page report about the fatal shooting of a Detroit mosque leader during an FBI raid that backs up a decision by Michigan's attorney general not to file criminal charges.
FBI agents shot Luqman Ameen Abdullah 20 times, killing him during a warehouse raid last year.
The police report, released to the Detroit Free Press, says that 20 FBI agents and three other federal agents, from U.S. Border Patrol, Oakland County Sheriff and Immigration Customs Enforcement, testified that Abdullah ignored commands to show his hands and surrender.
It also says that after police released a dog that bit him, Abdullah fired three shots in the direction of the agents and the dog, which died. Four FBI agents fired back 20 times, killing Abdullah.
According to the Free Press, the report says that the FBI brought in 14 agents from an elite squad based in Quantico, Va., known as HRT, Hostage Rescue Team, to assist the Detroit FBI. Three of the four agents who shot at Abdullah were with HRT. The team is known for dealing with hostage or counter-terrorism situations.
Attorney General Mike Cox announced his decision Thursday, saying it was ``undisputed'' that Abdullah fired at agents. Dearborn police were the lead investigators because the death occurred in that city.
The FBI says 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 killed 11 months ago.
Some leaders in the local Muslim community have questioned whether the agents used excessive force. Besides being shot 20 times, Abdullah had wounds that an independent forensic pathologist concluded were caused by an FBI dog killed during the raid. Some have speculated that Abdullah may have fired his gun trying to defend himself from the dog.
Dawud Walid, director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, has called for all evidence to be released to the public.
The Justice Department's civil rights division has also been investigating Abdullah's death.
© MMX WWJ Radio, All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to his report.
