A man shot by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis on Saturday morning has died, according to federal and local officials. State authorities identified the victim as Mr. Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a U.S. citizen, 37 year old ICU nurse and Minneapolis resident.
The shooting occurred shortly after 9 a.m. Central Time on the city’s South Side during a federal operation aimed at another individual. The Department of Homeland Security said the intended target was undocumented and wanted for “violent assault.” Mr. Pretti was not identified as the subject of that operation.
Video recorded by bystanders and shared online presents a different sequence of events. The footage appears to show multiple federal agents surrounding a man on the ground, striking him and attempting to restrain him before gunfire erupts. It remains unclear whether the man brandished or attempted to use the firearm before the video or at all as cited by federal officials.
Here is the video:
Officials have stated that Mr. Pretti legally possessed a permit to carry and conceal a firearm and had no known criminal record. Reports circulating after the incident indicate his weapon appeared to be holstered prior to the shooting, with video suggesting it may have been removed from his person moments before shots were fired.
Here’s another angle:
Gregory Bovino, head of U.S. Border Patrol, said the man who was killed approached agents while carrying a 9mm semi automatic handgun. Bovino reiterated DHS’s account, saying agents attempted to disarm him and that he “violently resisted.” Bovino said an agent then shot the man in self-defense.
We do not see anything of the sort in any of the videos.
Close up:
The victim was shot multiple times, possibly by more than one officer, according to O’Hara. He was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The incident marks the third shooting involving federal immigration agents in Minneapolis this month, intensifying scrutiny of enforcement tactics and use of force.
What do you think? What do your eyes, and ears tell you.