Justice Dept: FBI Killing of Detroit Imam Not a Crime

FBI: 'Some People Out There Are Never Going to Be Satisfied'

The Justice Department released a report today ruling that the 2009 killing of a Detroit Imam by FBI agents did not violate any federal law, meaning no charges will be filed related to the controversial slaying.

The October 2009 attack on a warehouse outside of Detroit sparked considerable criticism about heavy-handed tactics, and official claims that the Imam had been monitored for years before his death didn’t help matters.

Indeed the killing of Luqman Ameen Abdullah caused extremely little to-do in official communities, despite a minor charge of “suspicion of dealing in stolen goods” leading to him being shot 21 times by FBI agents. Much more was officially made of the death of “Freddy,” an FBI dog for whose death Abdullah was subsequently blamed. Freddy was officially honored for “dying in the line of duty.”

The conclusion from the Justice Department came just two weeks after the Michigan Attorney General issued a report praising the FBI’s handling of the situation. The report insisted Abdullah was “resisting arrest.

FBI spokesman Andrew Arena expressed seeming irritation at the fact that such investigations were even taking place, saying that “some people out there are never going to be satisfied,” while saying he hoped the report would dispel the “myths” about Abdullah’s killing.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.