Man Shot in Orlando By FBI During Boston Bombing Related Investigation
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
By: Matthew Peddie

May 22, 2013 | WMFE- The FBI says one of its special agents shot and killed a man at an apartment complex in Orlando early Wednesday morning after a violent confrontation.

[Photo: Ibragim Todashev]

The shooting took place at an apartment complex near Universal Studios in Orlando. The FBI identified the suspect as 27 year old Ibragim Todashev.

FBI spokesman Dave Couvertier said in a statement one of the agency's special agents and two Massachusetts State Police troopers were interviewing Todashev in connection with the Boston Marathon bombing investigation when he initiated "a violent confrontation."

"During the confrontation [Todashev] was killed and the agent suffered non life threatening injuries," Couvertier said.

He said the incident is currently under review.

An FBI post-shooting incident review team has been sent from Washington, DC, and is expected to arrive in Orlando within 24 hours.

Orange County arrest records show Todashev, a Russian born US citizen,  was arrested earlier this month on an aggravated battery charge. The arrest affidavit says Todashev got into a fight over a parking space at an Orlando shopping mall. Todashev told police after the incident he was a "former mixed martial arts fighter."

An employee of The Jungle Mixed Martial Arts gym in Orlando told WMFE Ibragim Todashev was a member of the gym a year and a half ago. The employee said that Ibragim was "not memorable" during his time there.

One gym owner speculated that Todashev may have met Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the older brother of the two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing who was killed in a shoot-out by authorities, at a Wai-Kru, a gym outside of Boston.

A friend of Todashev told Orlando's News 13  that Todashev met Tamerlan Tsarnaev "a few times," in Boston.