The U.S. Department of Justice has officially opened a federal civil rights investigation into the death of Alex Pretti, the Minneapolis man fatally shot by federal immigration agents earlier this month, the Associated Press reports. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed the probe, saying DOJ is examining “everything that would shed light on that day.”
The investigation has been assigned to the FBI with support from Homeland Security’s investigative arm (HSI). DOJ and DHS officials say the FBI will take the lead in determining what happened, while Homeland Security agents assist, and Customs and Border Protection conducts its own internal review.
Pretti, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident and ICU nurse, was shot and killed by federal agents on Jan. 24 during a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. His death has sparked widespread controversy, protests, and political debate over law enforcement use of force.
As Forbes reports:
ICE’s agency originally led the investigation, but its role in the case drew criticism from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who said the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension would conduct its own investigation.
The federal agents involved in Pretti’s shooting were placed on administrative leave earlier in the week, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told The New York Times.
“I don’t think a single video should change any perception that the Department of Justice may or may not have about that tragic occurrence last Saturday,” Blanche said Friday.
A federal civil rights investigation is a significant escalation beyond internal agency reviews — it means DOJ is scrutinizing whether officers’ actions during the encounter that claimed his life violated Pretti’s constitutional rights. That’s a different standard from administrative investigations and can lay the groundwork for potential criminal charges if violations are found.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
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Rioting is against the law what was ICE to do wait till the a-hole hurt them, bs.
Isn’t it very strange now a republican is the president and the congress and senate is republican the American citizens and the news media is complaining about the law enforcement really doing their job. and When the dem-o-rats had control that let all of this illegal thing happen and no complains? For me that tells me the dem-o-rats are communist socialist. And isn’t it the dem-o-rats that are doing the complaining?