Surveillance video released today of the fatal shooting of a Boston man suspected of plotting to kill police officers shows six plainclothes officers surrounding him before opening fire in a parking lot.
The blurry video shows Usaama Rahim, 26, walking through a parking lot on his way to a bus stop during the early morning hours of June 2.
Officers approach Rahim but back up as Rahim walks toward them in the parking lot. The officers draw their firearms, and Rahim, who is mostly obscured by a light pole during the altercation, falls to the ground.
It is not clear from the video what led officers to draw their weapons or which officers fired them. Police have said two officers, an FBI agent and a police officer, fired three shots. Officials released the original version of the video, which comes from a nearby restaurant, as well as a version that zooms in on the encounter.
Police Commissioner William Evans said Monday that the video "speaks for itself," showing that Rahim, who is black and Muslim, was fatally shot after refusing to drop a military-style knife and that officers were backing away when they fired their guns.
"This guy had a malicious intent," Evans said. "We averted a serious tragedy that day."
Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley said release of the video before his office's investigation into the incident is complete comes as the public has demanded greater "transparency and accountability" when officers use lethal force. Media and technology, he said, have also made it easier for "rumor, speculation, and inaccurate information" to spread.
