Alleged terrorism suspect Usaamah Rahim was armed and “on a mission” to kill police officers when he was fatally shot during a confrontation, Boston police commissioner William Evans said Thursday.
"He was out to get someone in blue,” Evans told TODAY's Savannah Guthrie on Thursday. “So it’s easy to understand now why he didn’t put down that large military knife. We faced a serious threat here.”
Police have also arrested David Wright and talked to a third suspect in connection to the alleged plan.
"I believe we have everyone connected with this plot," Evans said.
Boston police say they have viewed surveillance video of Tuesday’s shooting. “Clearly, it shows, our officers walking up to this individual, with no guns, and then within seconds retreating. Five policemen, backtracking, backtracking,” he said.
Rahim had originally planned to kill Pamela Geller, the organizer of the controversial "Draw Muhammad" competition, law enforcement sources told NBC News. Rahim abandoned that plan in favor of a plot to target police officers sometime this week.
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