Border Patrol: Individual Wanted To Massacre Law Enforcement
1 hour ago
Federal agents and protesters clashed on the freezing streets of Minneapolis on Saturday after agents fatally shot a person for the second time in the city in the span of a month.
This video obtained and verified by Reuters of the incident shows multiple Border Patrol agents struggling on the ground with a man, appearing to strike him before shots are fired.
Local media have identified the man who was killed as 37-year-old Alex Pretti.
Public records show Alex Pretti lived in Minneapolis and people who identified themselves on social media as former colleagues said he worked as a nurse.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said the Border Patrol agent fired in self defense after attempting to disarm a man who was a U.S. citizen.
Federal officials said he approached them with a handgun and two magazines.
Reuters could not verify DHS's description of events.
Gregory Bovino, a Border Patrol agent leading the operations in Minneapolis, said his agents had been in the middle of targeted enforcement operation before the shooting.
BOVINO: “This looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.”
He also said the incident was under investigation.
Local leaders questioned that account later in the day and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called on U.S. President Donald Trump to withdraw the 3,000 agents he has ordered into the city for an immigration crackdown.
WALZ: “Donald Trump, I call on you once again: Remove this force from Minnesota. They are sowing chaos and violence. We've seen deadly violence from federal agents again and again and again.”
Minnesota officials later said that their investigators had been blocked from the scene.
City Police Chief Brian O'Hara said the man killed on Saturday was a lawful gun owner with no criminal record other than traffic violations.
Saturday’s shooting drew hundreds of protesters to the neighborhood where the shooting took place to confront the agents, who deployed tear gas and flash bang grenades.
City police later arrived to manage the crowd, which calmed down after the agents left the area.
It all took place a day after more than 10,000 people took to the streets in frigid conditions to protest the crackdown.
Walz and other Minnesota officials were already at odds with the Trump administration over the shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good by a federal immigration agent.
Trump officials have also said that agent acted in self defense in that earlier instance, and have refused to allow local officials to participate in their investigation.
This video obtained and verified by Reuters of the incident shows multiple Border Patrol agents struggling on the ground with a man, appearing to strike him before shots are fired.
Local media have identified the man who was killed as 37-year-old Alex Pretti.
Public records show Alex Pretti lived in Minneapolis and people who identified themselves on social media as former colleagues said he worked as a nurse.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said the Border Patrol agent fired in self defense after attempting to disarm a man who was a U.S. citizen.
Federal officials said he approached them with a handgun and two magazines.
Reuters could not verify DHS's description of events.
Gregory Bovino, a Border Patrol agent leading the operations in Minneapolis, said his agents had been in the middle of targeted enforcement operation before the shooting.
BOVINO: “This looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.”
He also said the incident was under investigation.
Local leaders questioned that account later in the day and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called on U.S. President Donald Trump to withdraw the 3,000 agents he has ordered into the city for an immigration crackdown.
WALZ: “Donald Trump, I call on you once again: Remove this force from Minnesota. They are sowing chaos and violence. We've seen deadly violence from federal agents again and again and again.”
Minnesota officials later said that their investigators had been blocked from the scene.
City Police Chief Brian O'Hara said the man killed on Saturday was a lawful gun owner with no criminal record other than traffic violations.
Saturday’s shooting drew hundreds of protesters to the neighborhood where the shooting took place to confront the agents, who deployed tear gas and flash bang grenades.
City police later arrived to manage the crowd, which calmed down after the agents left the area.
It all took place a day after more than 10,000 people took to the streets in frigid conditions to protest the crackdown.
Walz and other Minnesota officials were already at odds with the Trump administration over the shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good by a federal immigration agent.
Trump officials have also said that agent acted in self defense in that earlier instance, and have refused to allow local officials to participate in their investigation.
