Video Shows Officers Moments Before Killing Boston Terror Suspect

— -- Video of last week's fatal encounter between a terrorism suspect and the Joint Terrorism Task Force shows five FBI agents and a plainclothes Boston police officer approaching Usaama Rahim near a bus stop before he pulled a military-style knife and was shot dead.

The video, taken from a security camera mounted on a nearby restaurant, shows Rahim was shot at close range and had been within 3 feet of the agents and officer while holding an Ontario Spec Plus Marine Raider Bowie fighting knife with a 9.5-inch blade.

One agent fired two shots. The Boston police officer fired one shot. All three bullets made contact. Rahim, who was 6-foot-5 and weighed 265 pounds, was hit in the shoulder, chest and groin.

The video was released by Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley, whose office investigates every police-involved fatal shooting in Boston.

"When it can inform the public about what happened and why it's in everyone's best interest to share it as soon as possible to tamp down rumors and bad information," Conley said.

His brother had initially said Rahim was on the phone and was shot in the back. While no weapon is discernable in the video, it does show officers retreating before the fatal gunshots. The whole encounter lasted less than a minute.

Rahim had been under 24-hour surveillance when the FBI said it "intercepted a communication" that indicated he was about to carry out an attack that day.

"The threat became imminent," Boston Police Commissioner William Evans told reporters. "I think we averted a serious tragedy that day."

Law enforcement officials said Rahim had aspired to attack Pamela Gellar, the controversial blogger and activist behind the Draw the Prophet cartoon contest in Texas. At 5 a.m. last Tuesday, court records said, Rahim was overheard telling a relative, David Wright, he had changed his mind and wanted to go after "boys in blue."

"I don't think he was going to go down easy," Evans said. "It was either us or them and thank God none of us were hurt."