New details have surfaced regarding the circumstances leading up to the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti. Just a week before his tragic death, Pretti was reportedly injured during an altercation with federal agents in Minneapolis.
Sources informed CNN that the 37-year-old sustained a broken rib after being tackled by officers. This incident occurred during a protest against former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
The confrontation allegedly began when Pretti stopped his vehicle upon witnessing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents pursuing a family on foot. According to insiders, he began shouting and using a whistle to draw attention.
Witnesses claim Pretti was then forcibly brought to the ground by five agents, one of whom reportedly applied pressure to his back, resulting in his rib injury. Despite the severity of his injuries, Pretti, an ICU nurse, was released on the scene, though he reportedly remained under surveillance by federal agents.
Earlier this month, documents obtained by the media outlet revealed that agents in Minneapolis had been instructed to gather comprehensive information on individuals involved in protests, including capturing images, license plates, and identification details.
Agents deployed in Minneapolis were instructed earlier this month to ‘capture all images, license plates, identifications, and general information on hotels, agitators, protestors,’ according to documents obtained by the outlet.
Federal officers are understood to have kept documented details about Pretti, although it is unclear when they first started collecting information on him.
He was shot dead by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis on Saturday.
Alex Pretti, 37, was left with a broken rib after being tackled by a group of federal officers during a protest roughly one week before he was shot dead, a source told CNN
Multiple bystander videos show a Border Patrol agent shooting and killing Pretti after a roughly 30-second scuffle around 9am Saturday.
The videos appear to contradict statements by DHS, which said the shots were fired ‘defensively’ against Pretti as he ‘approached’ them with a gun.
In the videos, Pretti is seen with only a phone in his hand. None of the footage appears to show him with a weapon.
During the scuffle, agents discovered that he was carrying a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, and they opened fire with several shots.
A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order banning the Trump administration from ‘destroying or altering evidence’ related to the death of Pretti.
It has not been confirmed whether Pretti’s gun fired any shots.
Department of Homeland Security boss Kristi Noem was quick to label Pretti a domestic terrorist, a title that Trump himself has not said.
Since the shooting, the president announced that Border Czar Tom Homan will take operational control of deportations in Minnesota.
Dissatisfaction with the Trump administration’s deportation crackdown, ICE and CBP has increased since Pretti was shot dead. Noem has also seen a dramatic loss of confidence, the latest Daily Mail/JL Partners poll revealed.
Democrats in Congress have already begun circulating an impeachment resolution against Noem with more than 120 signatures. However, given the Republican control of both the House and the Senate, they are unlikely to succeed.
The White House had tried to blame Democratic leaders for the protests of federal officers conducting immigration raids.
But after the killing of Pretti and videos suggesting he was not an active threat, the administration tapped Homan to take charge of the Minnesota operation from Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino.
Trump said in an interview Tuesday that he had ‘great calls’ with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Monday.
Walz’s office said Tuesday that the Democratic governor met with Homan and called for impartial investigations into the shootings involving federal officers. They agreed on the need to continue to talk, according to the governor.
Immigration were still active Tuesday across the Twin Cities region, and it is unclear if officials had changed tactics after the shift in tone from the White House.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
