A newly released video depicts Alex Pretti yelling at federal agents and damaging a government vehicle during a Minneapolis protest. In the Jan. 13 footage, Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse and ICE protester, is seen confronting and spitting at officers, kicking out a taillight, and being tackled 11 days before he was fatally shot by federal agents last weekend.
In the footage, Pretti is seen aggressively confronting federal agents, repeatedly screaming “F*** you” as he closes the distance with the officers. At one point, he shouts, “What the f*** is wrong with you?” before launching into a profanity-laced tirade about their life choices. As agents retreat toward their SUVs, Pretti continues taunting them, mocking one officer as a “pepper spray b****” and yelling “f***ing trash” while daring them to act. Moments later, he can be heard shouting “F***ing soak me, motherf***er” just before he kicks at the ICE vehicle and clearly damages the vehicle’s taillight. An agent then jumps from the SUV as Pretti raises his middle finger and again yells, “F*** you.” Pretti is tackled and subsequently released as ICE agents disperse from the scene.
Eleven days after that confrontation, Pretti was fatally shot by federal agents during a Minneapolis enforcement operation. Video from that encounter shows Pretti holding his phone in an attempt to film and, according to a bystander interviewed at the scene, protecting other female protesters when agents moved in. Bystander footage indicates Pretti was pepper-sprayed and wrestled to the ground by several officers before he was shot and killed. (RELATED: Springsteen’s ‘Streets of Minneapolis’ an Ode to Fascists Obstructing the Law)
According to official statements given to Congress, two federal agents fired shots that killed Pretti, though authorities have offered differing accounts about the precise threat he posed. During the altercation, Pretti had a loaded Sig Sauer P320 9mm pistol holstered to his person when he confronted an agent engaged with another protestor. Once Pretti was knocked to the ground, one ICE agent shouted “gun” and was able to quickly remove the pistol from Pretti’s person during the encounter. Then, approximately 10 shots were fired by the agents amid the chaos, killing Pretti. Pretti had a license to carry a handgun in Minnesota, and evidence does not suggest he was brandishing the firearm in a threatening manner. (RELATED: Peaceful Protestors Don’t Carry Loaded Pistols)
Appearing on the Will Cain Show on Tuesday, President Donald Trump was asked for his thoughts on the Alex Pretti shooting.“I think the whole thing was terrible,” the president said. “I don’t like the fact that he was carrying a gun that was fully loaded, and he had two magazines with him. That’s pretty unusual.”
This statement sparked a debate surrounding gun rights. Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, wrote, “If you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you. Don’t do it!” The NRA replied to his X post, stating, “This sentiment … is dangerous and wrong. Responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens.”
As a result of public outcry over the shooting and Pretti’s death, Trump dispatched border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis in order to take charge of ICE operations there. Homan has emphasized that the federal presence could be reduced if state and local authorities cooperate with the operation. Homan added that ICE agents have been subject to “hateful rhetoric and attacks” that required more personnel to be deployed. “We have to [then] send in a security team behind the arrest team. What could have been done by one person in the safety of the jail now, we got 15 to 16 people out there doing,” Homan stated.
Minneapolis Major Jacob Frey, in response to the situation, told Homan that the city refuses to change its sanctuary city laws in exchange for a drawdown. “I also made it clear [to Homan] that Minneapolis does not and will not enforce federal immigration laws, and that we will remain focused on keeping our neighbors and streets safe,” Frey remarked. This is consistent with Frey’s past rhetoric on the subject, as he said, “Minneapolis will continue to be a safe haven for undocumented immigrants” last March.
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