Warwick (US): A man was arrested in connection with the probe into a Massachusetts man who was fatally shot by terrorism investigators as they sought to question him about a possible plot to kill police officers. Nicholas Rovinski is expected to appear in federal court today, when the charges against him will be announced, US Attorney Carmen Ortiz’s spokeswoman Christina DiIorio-Sterling said. Rovinski, of Warwick, was taken into custody last night without incident, Boston FBI office spokeswoman Kristen Setera said.
A telephone call to Rovinski’s house rang unanswered last night, and he couldn’t be reached for comment while in custody. The house was searched by federal officials last week. Federal authorities say Boston resident Usaama Rahim plotted for at least a week to attack police. An FBI affidavit supporting a criminal complaint against Rahim’s nephew David Wright says Rahim, Wright and a third man met on a Rhode Island beach “to discuss their plans.” Rahim, who had been under surveillance, was confronted because he had bought knives and talked of an imminent attack on “boys in blue,” the FBI said.
The FBI said Rahim, who had previously discussed beheadings, bought three fighting knives and a sharpener on or before May 26 and he told Wright he would begin trying to randomly kill police officers. An anti-terror task force of FBI agents and Boston police officers, faced with an imminent threat, confronted Rahim on a sidewalk and fatally shot him when he refused to drop his knife, authorities said. His family has disputed investigators’ version of events. Wright was arrested last week on a charge of conspiracy with intent to obstruct a federal investigation. He was in custody pending a June 19 hearing. His attorney previously declined to comment.
