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A visual analysis of bystander footage contradicts the Department of Homeland Security’s official account regarding the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents early Saturday.
While DHS Secretary Kristi L. Noem states that agents fired on the 37-year-old ICU nurse because he was armed and reacting violently, video reviewed by The Washington Post indicates agents secure Pretti’s handgun moments before opening fire.
The incident occurs on Nicollet Street during a DHS targeted operation. Bystander videos show Pretti, who is not holding a weapon, filming agents with his phone.
After an officer pushes a bystander, Pretti intervenes and is pepper-sprayed. A struggle ensues as multiple agents attempt to detain him on the ground.
During the scrum, an agent in a gray jacket is seen crouching over Pretti and removing a handgun from the nurse’s waistband.
The agent stands and retreats with the weapon pointing down. Virtually simultaneously, a second agent unholsters his weapon and points it at Pretti’s back. Less than a second after the disarmament, the first of approximately 10 shots is heard.
It remains unclear if the firing agent realizes Pretti is disarmed. Local authorities believe Pretti held a permit to carry the weapon.
The footage challenges the timeline presented by federal officials, who claim the suspect attempted to “massacre” law enforcement.
Pretti is the second person killed by federal agents in Minneapolis in recent weeks amid ongoing protests against the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations.
