Ibragim Todashev, 27, was a Chechen acquaintance of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev. He was shot the night of May 21 while being questioned by law enforcement. Todashev was living in Orlando, Fla., at the time.
His father, Abdulbaki Todashev, spoke at a press conference on Tuesday with the help of an interpreter, having traveled to the United States from Russia.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has requested the release of Orlando Police documents related to Todashev from before and after his death. Todashev did not speak to police because he did not have an attorney, said CAIR representatives at the press conference. They said they believe the young man was unarmed and they are waiting for medical examination records and further evidence in the police investigation to see whether the shooting of Todashev was warranted.
Todashev’s father said “My son was a very good boy. He was a good grandson for his grandparents, he was a good brother, he was a good neighbor. We loved him all very much and he loved us back.” He described his son as sociable, having respect for the elderly, talented, energetic, kind, and as having a love of sports.
“He didn’t do anything wrong. He was simply not capable of doing it,” his father said. He repeated, “He was a very good boy.”
“I came to America to rely on the American legal system,” he said.
The Department of Justice and State Attorney are both conducting investigations into the case.
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