Givin’ Em A Pass, Ashton Looks The Other Way

The FBI agent who shot and killed Ibragim Todashev in an Orlando apartment last year, will not face criminal charges, according to a just released independent review undertaken by State Attorney Jeff Ashton.

Todashev, a friend of Boston marathon suspect Tamerlan Tsaranev, was being questioned by a Massachusetts State Police Officer and the FBI agent in May 2013, about his knowledge of a triple murder in Massachusetts two years before, when he was killed.

According to Ashton’s report, although Todashev had initially cooperated with investigators and had admitted playing a role in the triple murders, his demeanor changed and he threw a coffee table at law enforcement officers.

The report states, Todashev then ran to the kitchen and grabbed a ‘long pole of some sort’ and holding it over his head, began advancing toward the officers. Initially, Todashev was shot three to four times and again, three or four more times, the report states.

From the report:

As Mr. Todashev advances on the MSP officer, the Special Agent of the FBI fired three to four shots at him. …..Mr. Todashev dropped to his knees by the force of the shots, but was not incapacitated. He immediately sprung toward the officers in what the MSP officer describes as a low angled lunge. The Special Agent of the FBI fired three to four additional shots which incapacitated Mr. Todashev and resulted in his death.

The state attorney concluded that the use of deadly force by the special agent was justified in self-defense and in defense of the other officer present, after investigating the killing.  Ashton also concluded, that the agent didn’t use poor judgement, in this instance.

Initially, officials had put out various stories as to what Tadashev used to attack officers. It was reported that he used a knife or other sharp object. Subsequently, that was changed to a metal pole or broomstick.

Over the past 20 years, FBI agents have shot 150 individuals, including killing 70 of them. In each case, the FBI has cleared their agents of any wrong doing, MSNBC reported.