Crime & Safety
Video: Woman Killed By Police Was Sister Of Accused Terrorist
The sister of an accused ISIS terrorist was fatally shot at Temple Terrace City Hall after attacking an officer with a knife.
TEMPLE TERRACE, FL — Temple Terrace Police say the woman who was fatally shot by police at Temple Terrace City Hall Friday was the sister of a Tampa man accused of planning a terrorist attack on Tampa Bay on behalf of ISIS.
The woman has been identified as Heba Momtaz Al-Azhari, 22.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the filing of a criminal complaint charging Al-Azhari's 23-year-old brother, Muhammed Momtaz Al-Azhari, with "attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization," namely ISIS.
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See related story: Tampa Man Accused Of Planning ISIS Terrorist Attack On Tampa Bay
According to the 63-page complaint affidavit, Muhammed Momtaz Al-Azhari was an ISIS supporter who planned to carry out an attack in the Tampa Bay area. The justice department said Al-Azhari researched and scouted potential targets in the Tampa area, including Honeymoon Island in Dunedin, the Tampa FBI field office and Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa.
Find out what's happening in Temple Terracefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Heba Momtaz Al-Azhari was reportedly upset over the charges her brother was facing.
Police said she entered the Temple Terrace City Hall, 11250 N. 56th St., at 1:14 p.m. Friday and said she needed help. Surveillance video shows a uniformed officer approaching Al-Azhari as she sat on a bench outside city hall. As he approaches, Al-Azhari stands, pulls out a knife and lunges at the officer with the weapon.
According to Temple Terrace Police Chief Ken Albano, the officer ordered Al-Azhari to drop the knife several times while another officer came to his aid. The shooting took place off camera. Police haven't said if one or both officers shot Al-Zhari. The officers have not been named.
Al-Zhari was rushed to the hospital where she died. The officer who was attacked was treated for injuries that are not life-threatening.
The Temple Terrace Police Department is working with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office on the investigation.
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