In light of the FBI’s assurances that it’s reviewing the fatal shooting of Ibragim Todashev, a man questioned in the Boston bombing case, by an FBI agent last month, the New York Times took a look at the results of the agency’s previous internal investigations. Their finding: From 1993 to early 2011, FBI agents fatally shot about 70 “subjects” and wounded about 80 others, and in each case the internal investigation found that the shooting was justified.
FBI officials explained their agents are more experienced that police officers, and are usually involved in planned operations, reducing the likelihood of uncalled-for shootings. However, University of Nebraska Omaha professor Samuel Walker, who studies internal law enforcement investigations, found the figure “suspiciously low.” Todashev’s family and the Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations are calling for an outside investigation, but we have a pretty good idea of what the FBI will conclude.
