The National Guard has officially arrived…
Newly circulated bystander and witness videos of the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents appear to conflict with the official version of events released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Pretti, a U.S. citizen and intensive care nurse, was shot and killed on Saturday morning at 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue South in south Minneapolis during a federal immigration enforcement operation. Federal authorities initially said the shooting was justified because Pretti allegedly approached U.S. Border Patrol agents with a handgun and “violent resistance” that prompted defensive fire.
Several videos shared on social media and reviewed by analysts suggest a different sequence of events than the one described by DHS. (RELATED: Federal Agents Open Fire In Minneapolis – One Dead)
Federal officials said Pretti approached Border Patrol agents carrying a handgun and with the intent to “massacre” them. But video footage appears to show a different sequence of events: Pretti steps between a woman and an agent who is pepper-spraying her, prompting other agents to spray him as well. The video shows Pretti holding a phone in one hand and nothing in the other as officers force him to the ground.
A New York Times analysis of open-source video shows Pretti being pinned and then shot repeatedly, with no clear depiction of an active threat at the moment the first shots are fired. Critics maintain he actively resisted arrest even when on the ground.
The Times continues, describing Pretti’s final moments:
His concealed weapon was found only after he was restrained on the sidewalk, the videos show. It appears to have been taken from him before the agents opened fire.
A colleague of Mr. Pretti, Dimitri Drekonja, said he worked in the intensive-care unit at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Minneapolis. “He was a really great colleague and a really great friend,” Mr. Drekonja said. “The default look on his face was a smile.”
Federal claims: Gregory Bovino, the official in charge of President Trump’s Border Patrol operations, said without evidence that Mr. Pretti had “wanted to do maximum damage.” Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota disputed the claim that Mr. Pretti posed a threat. “Thank God we have video!” he told reporters. “It’s nonsense people, it’s nonsense and it’s lies.”
Multiple shots: Agents appear to have fired at least 10 shots within five seconds at Mr. Pretti on the sidewalk, according to the Times analysis of videos posted to social media. Chief O’Hara said local officials believe that at least two agents opened fire.
In Minnesota, people can legally open-carry firearms.
Governor Tim Walz has since activated the Minnesota National Guard in response to the fatal shooting. The Guard is assisting local law enforcement with crowd control as hundreds of protesters gathered at the Whipple Federal Building despite an expected low tonight between minus 11 and minus 18.
Approximately 1,500 active-duty soldiers have also been placed on standby for the region.
Outrage has spilled onto Capitol Hill, where a government shutdown starting next week now looks more likely.
Several Senate Democrats, including swing-state moderates such as Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto, are now saying they won’t back the Department of Homeland Security funding bill unless ICE funding and oversight provisions change.
That puts Republican leaders in a bind. They control the Senate with just 53 seats and need at least seven Democratic votes to reach the 60-vote filibuster threshold and pass the bill that keeps DHS, Defense, and other key agencies funded.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
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Have an idea, get out of the way of lawful Ice and sheet like this might not happen.
There are claims that it’s legal to carry a firearm in Minnesota, but is it legal in Minneapolis? Minneapolis is a horse of a different color run by democraps and therefore highly regulated. He might have had a permit, but he sure didn’t have any common sense.
There is no way to tell if he pulled the gun in that scrum. Since he almost bit the finger off an ICE Agent, he seemed to be in that frame of mind. He may have pulled it and they got it away from him and they kicked free of the scum.