Police confirm blogger was initial target of attack

BOSTON — The family of a Boston man shot to death by terrorism investigators was shocked by allegations that he planned to kill police officers, and saw no signs that he had become radicalized, their attorney said Thursday.

Ronald Sullivan, a Harvard Law professor, said Usaama Rahim’s family considered him “an energetic young man trying to make his way in this world” and saw no behavior or changes in demeanor that would lead them to suspect he would espouse violence.

Surrounded by Rahim’s brothers, mother and wife on the sidewalk where Rahim was shot, Sullivan said they hope to work “productively and cooperatively” with investigators in a “joint effort to search for the truth.”

“Let me be clear: The family is not making any substantive claims at this time about what happened in this case,” Sullivan said. He said the family planned to view a video of the shooting later Thursday, but said that may not tell the whole story.

Rahim, 26, was fatally shot Tuesday after investigators said he refused to drop a military-style knife as they sought to question him about “terrorist-related information.” Police have said the video shows officers backing up and Rahim moving toward them before they fired.

Sullivan said Rahim’s brother Ibrahim Rahim, a well-known imam in Boston, regrets posting a Facebook message based on incorrect, third-hand information claiming that his brother had been shot three times in the back.

“We now know we simply did not have all the facts at that time,” Sullivan said.

Police Commissioner William Evans said Rahim had talked about beheading blogger Pamela Geller before deciding to target police officers. “There was some mention of that name,” said Evans, who dismissed the idea as “wishful thinking.”

A Muslim leader said Thursday that his killing by Boston Police and the FBI was reckless and unnecessary.