E-Paper
Alex Pretti was ‘protecting women’; claims emerge after new Minneapolis shooting video
Alex Jeffrey Pretti was identified as the man who was shot by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis on Saturday
Alex Jeffrey Pretti was identified as the man who was shot by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis on Saturday, the Star Tribune reported, citing two sources. The 37-year-old, believed to be an American citizen, died in a medical center, officials said during a press conference.
Now, a new video from the incident has surfaced. A bystander, dressed in pink clothes, captured a close-up angle of Pretti wrestling Border Patrol officers. Multiple shots rang out while she was filming. The witness, in shock, screamed for help. “Call the ambulance. What the f**k did you do?” she repeatedly asked.
A local claimed that Pretti was trying to ‘protect two women’.
Pretti's parents told The Associated Press that he was an intensive care unit nurse.
Detailed video out
Another video, captured by a bystander and obtained by The Associated Press. shows a tense and chaotic confrontation on Nicollet Avenue as protesters blew whistles and shouted at federal agents. In the footage, an officer is seen shoving a person wearing a brown jacket, skirt, and black tights who is carrying a water bottle. That individual reaches for a man nearby, and the two embrace as the man appears to raise his phone toward the officer.
Moments later, the same officer pushes the man in the chest, causing both individuals, still linked, to fall backward. The video briefly cuts away, then returns to show multiple officers surrounding the man. At least seven agents are visible as one restrains him from behind while another, holding what appears to be a cannister, strikes the man in the chest. As officers attempt to pull his arms behind his back, the man’s face is briefly visible. The officer with the cannister then strikes near the man’s head several times.
A gunshot is heard, though the source of the shot is unclear amid the cluster of officers. After the shot, officers quickly back away as additional shots ring out. The man is left lying motionless in the street.
‘Defensive shots’
Federal officials said the shooting occurred during an immigration enforcement operation. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said officers fired what she described as “defensive shots” after a man carrying a handgun approached agents and “violently resisted” efforts to disarm him.
Minneapolis Police Chief O’Hara said investigators believe the man was a “lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.” Federal officials added that the officer who fired the weapon is an eight-year Border Patrol veteran.
President Donald Trump responded on social media, criticizing Minnesota leaders and questioning the role of local police. Sharing images of the handgun recovered at the scene, Trump wrote: “What is that all about? Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers?”
O’Hara urged restraint from both demonstrators and federal agencies operating in the city. “Our demand today is for those federal agencies that are operating in our city to do so with the same discipline, humanity and integrity that effective law enforcement in this country demands,” he said. “We urge everyone to remain peaceful.”
Customs and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino defended the officer’s actions, saying the agent had extensive training, including work as a range safety officer and instruction in less-lethal force. “This is only the latest attack on law enforcement. Across the country, the men and women of DHS have been attacked, shot at,” Bovino said.
(With AP inputs)
