What we know about death of Alex Pretti
ReutersA US Border Patrol agent shot and killed a man in Minneapolis. Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, is the second person shot and killed by a federal agent in the city this month.
Authorities used tear gas to disperse demonstrators who had returned to the streets to protest the operation by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the city.
What do we know so far about the latest shooting and what could be the consequences?
How it went
Tensions in Minneapolis have been high since the Trump administration deployed 2,000 federal agents to the region on Jan. 6 after allegations of welfare fraud in the state.
It’s a response to a campaign launched by ICE late last year to target Minneapolis immigrants who have been subject to deportation orders, including members of the city’s Somali community.
Protests have taken place since the agents’ arrival and further intensified following the shooting of U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good on January 8.
Who was shot?
Pretti was a white U.S. citizen and resident of Minneapolis, officials said. Police described him as a legal gun owner whose only known interaction with law enforcement was related to parking tickets.
A video verified by the BBC, filmed from inside a café and donut shop on Nicollet Avenue, shows the moment officers surround him and tackle him to the ground. One of them appears to have hit him several times before hearing gunshots. Pretti then falls to the ground.
The US Department of Homeland Security also shared a photo of what it says is the weapon he was carrying.
US Department of Homeland SecurityWhat the feds are saying
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that a federal officer shot and killed a man in Minneapolis at 9:05 a.m. local time (3:05 p.m. GMT) on January 24.
Spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said Border Patrol agents were conducting a “targeted operation” on an “illegal alien wanted for violent assault” when a person approached with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun.
“The officers attempted to disarm the suspect, but the suspect, who was armed, violently resisted,” McLaughlin said.
“Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of his fellow officers, an officer fired defensive shots. Doctors on scene immediately provided medical attention to the subject, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
At a news conference later, Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino said the agent “fired defensive shots.”
EPAWhat state and city officials said
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, said on social media that he told the White House that Minnesota “must lead the investigation” after the incident.
At a news conference, Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said ICE operations “are not creating safety in our city,” describing the crackdown as an “invasion” of masked agents who have a sense of impunity.
Frey urged US President Donald Trump to “put Minneapolis, put America first” and “act now and fire these federal agents.”
What Trump said
The president posted a photo of the handgun released by Homeland Security on social media. He wondered where the local police were and “why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE agents?” »
“The mayor and governor canceled them? It says that many of these officers were not allowed to do their job, that ICE had to protect itself – This is not an easy thing to do!” he wrote.
Without citing evidence, Trump accused local officials of a “cover-up” to cover up the theft and fraud.
“The Mayor and Governor are inciting insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous and arrogant rhetoric…LET’S LET OUR ICE PATRIOTS DO THEIR WORK!”
