Warning: Videos contain graphic content.
Videos quickly surfaced on Saturday showing the fatal shooting of a protester in Minneapolis by a Border Patrol agent, with Democratic leaders in Minnesota saying the footage showed the deadly encounter was the result of an overreaction by untrained federal officers and the Trump administration, which said the man provoked the violence.
It was the second fatal shooting in Minneapolis by federal immigration authorities this month. The first, January 7, engaged Renee Good. It was also caught on video and caused a similar rift among political leaders.
A border guard agent shot and killed a 37-year-old man on Saturday around nine o’clock in the morning Alex Pretty after a roughly 30-second skirmish. The Trump administration said the shots were fired “defensively” against Pretti, who federal authorities say had a semi-automatic handgun and “violently” resisted officers.
However, in bystander videos of the shooting reviewed by The Associated Press, Pretti is only seen holding a phone; none of the videos show him with a gun.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who said he watched one of several videos, said he saw “more than six masked agents hit one of our constituents and shoot him.” Frey said Minneapolis and St. Paul are “assaulted” by the administration the biggest immigration crackdowndubbed Operation Metro Surge.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti attacked the officers, and Customs and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino said he wanted to do “maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.” In posts on X, President Donald Trump’s deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, called Pretti a “potential killer.”
The shooting occurred Saturday as officers pursued a man in the country illegally wanted for domestic assault, Bovino said. Demonstrators routinely attempt to disrupt such operations and blew their high-pitched whistles, honked horns and shouted at officers.
Among them was Pretti. In one video obtained by The Associated Press, Pretti is standing in the street holding a phone. He is face to face with an officer wearing a tactical vest who puts his hand on Pretti and pushes him to the sidewalk.
Pretti is talking to the officer, although it is unclear what he is saying.
The video shows protesters wandering in and out of the streets as police keep trying to talk them down. One protester is handcuffed. Some officers have pepper spray canisters.
Pretti comes up again as the video shows an officer in tactical gear shoving a protester. The protester, wearing a skirt over black tights and holding a water bottle, reaches for Pretti.
The same officer shoves Pretti in the chest, sending Pretti and the other protester stumbling backwards.
Another video then shows Pretti moving toward another protester, who falls after being pushed by the same officer. Pretti moves between the protester and the officer and holds out his hands to the officer. The officer uses pepper spray and Pretti raises his hand and turns his face away. The officer grabs Pretti’s arm to bring it behind his back, replaces the pepper spray canister, then pushes Pretti away.
Seconds later, at least half a dozen federal officers surround Pretti, who is knocked to the ground and hit several times. Several agents try to get Pretti’s arms behind his back and he struggles.
The videos show the officer hovering over the melee with his right hand on Pretti’s back backing away from the group with what appears to be a gun in his right hand just before the first shot is fired.
Someone yells “gun, gun.” It is unclear whether this is a reference to the gun authorities that Pretti held.
And then the first shot rings out.
The videos do not clearly show who fired the first shot. In one video, seconds before the first shot is fired, one officer reaches into his waistband and appears to pull out a gun. The same officer is seen with a gun on Pretti’s back as three more shots are fired. Pretti slumps to the ground. Videos show officers backing away, some with guns drawn. More shots are fired.
The Department of Homeland Security said Pretti was shot after “approaching” Border Patrol agents with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun. Officials did not say whether Pretti, who has a permit to carry a concealed weapon, brandished the weapon or had it concealed.
The agency’s statement said officers fired “defensive shots” after Pretti “violently resisted” officers who tried to disarm him.
Walz expressed dismay at the characterization.
“I’ve seen the videos from several angles and it’s disgusting,” he said.
President Donald Trump took to social media to attack Walz and Frey. Sharing images of a gun that immigration officials said was recovered from Pretti, Trump said: “What is all this about? Where are the local police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect the ICE officers?”
Leave a Reply