BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) -- Police and religious leaders reviewed surveillance footage Wednesday of the deadly shooting of Usaama Rahim in Roslindale.
On Tuesday, 26-year-old Rahim was shot and killed by officers outside of a CVS. Police say that when they approached Rahim, he pulled out a large, military-style weapon and came towards an officer and FBI agent. After watching the surveillance footage Wednesday, community leaders say Rahim was shot three times: once in the shoulder, once in the chest and once in the abdomen. The 26-year-old was not shot in the back and was not holding a cell phone, contrary to reports from Rahim's brother.
At least one prominent Imam questions what he says wasn't clear, "We couldn't see clearly he was asking this question of whether he was brandishing a knife or not it was 1/20th of the overall frame very far away so we can't be clear as to what transpired."
Police maintain that the scenario was plain to see, but others say what's caught on camera just leaves more questions.
"Inconclusive that's the best thing in can say because I can't make out clearly what transpired, I do feel personally this is not for the Muslim community they might have approached him in a different way," one community leader said.
The reaction to the video was clearly mixed. The Boston police commissioner pointed to it as evidence his officers were forced to shoot, but some local Muslim leaders did not quite agree.
Police will be showing the surveillance video to Rahim's family before releasing it to the public.
Rahim had been under 24-hour surveillance by the Joint Terrorism Task Force before Tuesday. There was an “active plot” centered around harming law enforcement officials, although it is unclear if it was operational, a source told FOX25. The plot may have been inspired by ISIS.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, called for an "independent and thorough" investigation into the shooting.
