A 37-year-old man was fatally shot by US Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis on Saturday morning, sparking outrage and calls for an end to the federal immigration surge in the city.
Alex Jeffrey Pretti, an intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Administration hospital, was killed in a scuffle with agents who were conducting targeted immigration enforcement operations. The Department of Homeland Security claims that the agent acted in self-defense while trying to disarm Pretti, but local officials have pushed back on this account, condemning the surge as unnecessary and deadly.
Contrary to the federal government's version of events, bystander videos reviewed by CBS News show Pretti holding a phone in his right hand and nothing in his left before being shot. Footage also shows an altercation between several officers and a person on the ground before shots are heard.
Local leaders have expressed anger and frustration with the situation. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has called for an end to the federal operation in Minnesota, saying "I just saw a video of more than six masked agents pummeling one of our constituents and shooting him to death. How many more residents, how many more Americans, need to die or get badly hurt for this operation to end?"
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has also weighed in, describing the Trump administration's account of events as "nonsense" and "lies." He said that he had reviewed several videos of the shooting and that what he saw with his eyes made it hard to believe.
A federal probe is underway, but it remains unclear whether state agencies will be involved. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has blamed Democratic leaders for the tragedy, saying they have resisted federal law enforcement and created an escalation.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has filed a lawsuit against DHS, alleging that federal authorities took exclusive possession of evidence from the scene without allowing state investigators access. The BCA had withdrawn from the Good case earlier this month because federal authorities had restricted its access to evidence.
Protesters demonstrated at the scene following the shooting, with some throwing objects and engaging in a standoff with federal officers. One protester was arrested after biting off an HSI officer's finger.
As the situation continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti has raised serious concerns about the federal immigration surge in Minnesota and the need for greater transparency and accountability from those involved.
Alex Jeffrey Pretti, an intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Administration hospital, was killed in a scuffle with agents who were conducting targeted immigration enforcement operations. The Department of Homeland Security claims that the agent acted in self-defense while trying to disarm Pretti, but local officials have pushed back on this account, condemning the surge as unnecessary and deadly.
Contrary to the federal government's version of events, bystander videos reviewed by CBS News show Pretti holding a phone in his right hand and nothing in his left before being shot. Footage also shows an altercation between several officers and a person on the ground before shots are heard.
Local leaders have expressed anger and frustration with the situation. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has called for an end to the federal operation in Minnesota, saying "I just saw a video of more than six masked agents pummeling one of our constituents and shooting him to death. How many more residents, how many more Americans, need to die or get badly hurt for this operation to end?"
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has also weighed in, describing the Trump administration's account of events as "nonsense" and "lies." He said that he had reviewed several videos of the shooting and that what he saw with his eyes made it hard to believe.
A federal probe is underway, but it remains unclear whether state agencies will be involved. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has blamed Democratic leaders for the tragedy, saying they have resisted federal law enforcement and created an escalation.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has filed a lawsuit against DHS, alleging that federal authorities took exclusive possession of evidence from the scene without allowing state investigators access. The BCA had withdrawn from the Good case earlier this month because federal authorities had restricted its access to evidence.
Protesters demonstrated at the scene following the shooting, with some throwing objects and engaging in a standoff with federal officers. One protester was arrested after biting off an HSI officer's finger.
As the situation continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti has raised serious concerns about the federal immigration surge in Minnesota and the need for greater transparency and accountability from those involved.
I'm so upset about this, it's just not right! 
You have to think, a man is already sick and can't even take care of himself, and then these agents show up and start beating him... it's like something out of a movie. 
The fact that they're saying he was trying to disarm them but bystander videos don't show it that way, it just makes me think there's more to the story. 
And what's with all the drama around who's at fault? Can't we just focus on making sure this kind of thing never happens again? 
The governor and mayor are right, something needs to change. This is a wake-up call for everyone involved. 
37 yr old man lives or dies by a scuffle with us border patrol agents... it just don't sit right 
they're saying self defense but all the bystander vids show alex holding his phone and having NOTHING in his hand, what was he even supposed to do? 
meanwhile local leaders are calling for an end to this federal operation because it's UNNECESSARY & DEADLY 
like how many more ppl need to get hurt or die before they listen? 
and to make matters worse, the gov't is blaming democratic leaders for the tragedy... what a joke 
at least the governor called out trump's bs and said the account of events is pure nonsense 
lets see some real accountability here! 
or the one on the ground? it's just crazy how quickly things escalate when you've got a bunch of heavily armed people with power over someone's life. and now we're supposed to believe that they acted in self-defense? 
And what's with this "self-defense" claim? From what I've seen, it looks like they were just trying to take someone down without backing up their story 
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. And the fact that the government is trying to cover it up by saying the agent acted in self-defense just makes it worse 
. I remember when O.J. Simpson was tried for murder and how all those cameras were installed to catch every move... this feels like we're living in a similar era of surveillance and control 
. And what's with all these lawsuits? Can't they just get the truth out already? The governor is right, it's just nonsense 
it's just heartbreaking. i'm so angry on his behalf and on behalf of all the families affected by this senseless violence 
I mean, come on! Can't they get it together? They're sending in these agents with guns blazing and expecting everything to be okay? 
i went there with friends last weekend and we had an absolute blast trying all the weird and wonderful flavors... anyway, back to this shooting thingy... what's up with the federal gov't always being so secretive about their operations? i mean, can't they just be more open and honest about what's going on? 
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i cant even believe what happened to alex he was just an innocent guy trying to do his job and get hurt by the very people supposed to protect him? 