WASHNGTON (AP) — Recently surfaced videos show Alex Pretti's tense interaction with federal immigration officials during a Minneapolis protest just over a week before he was shot and killed by Border Patrol officers. Pretti, an intensive care nurse, was captured in videos kicking a federal vehicle's taillight and engaging in a scuffle with agents.
In the footage, Pretti can be seen shouting expletives as agents attempt to restrain him. A handgun can be spotted tucked into his waistband, but the videos do not show him reaching for it. This scuffle has re-ignited national discussions surrounding his subsequent shooting death.
Pretti's attorney, Steve Schleicher, strongly argues that nothing from this earlier incident could justify the shooting, declaring Pretti posed no threat at the time he was killed. Witnesses confirmed that when he was shot, Pretti was subdued and holding his phone.
Footage taken by bystanders shows Pretti, dressed in a winter coat and glasses, vocally confronting immigration officers, prior to being forcefully taken down. He was later shot near the scene 11 days after this confrontation, raising concerns over police and immigration enforcement practices as the nation grapples with ongoing discussions about immigration and civil rights.
