The Breakfast Club host Charlamagne tha God criticized the narrative promoted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials surrounding the death of Alex Pretti, saying newly released video does not bolster the government’s account but instead “makes the ICE agents look worse.”
His comments come amid mounting public outry over the January 24 fatal Pretti shooting in Minneapolis, and new footage shows an earlier altercation between Pretti and federal agents.
The Jan. 13 incident
Charlamagne tha God on the new video of Alex Pretti: “I don’t think it adds another layer at all. In fact, it makes the ICE agents look worse because we saw Alex Pretti get assaulted twice and not once did he reach for his gun. Can ICE agents say the same?” pic.twitter.com/jUTQLYyPN3
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) January 29, 2026
The newly surfaced video shows Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse and U.S. citizen, engaged with ICE agents on Jan. 13, 11 days before his death, during protest activity related to federal immigration enforcement in the city. The footage depicts Pretti shouting at agents and kicking the taillight of a government vehicle.
Referring to the new taillight-kicking footage, Charlamagne said, “I don’t think it adds another layer at all. In fact, it makes the ICE agents look worse because we saw Alex Pretti get assaulted twice and not once did he reach for his gun. Can ICE agents say the same?”
11 days after that initial encounter, federal agents killed Pretti during an escalation in immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis. At one point, officers wrestled him to the ground. While a handgun was visible in his waistband, the video does not show him reaching for it or drawing it in a threatening manner.
Department of Justice officials have now opened a federal civil-rights investigation into the shooting after conflicting video evidence surfaced challenging official claims about what happened.
Local authorities, including the Minneapolis Police Chief, confirmed Pretti held a valid Minnesota permit to carry a handgun. However, it’s unclear whether he had his ID and permit on him when he died.
Minnesota law requires both to be carried when armed, and federal officials claimed Pretti did not have ID on him. Videos do not show agents ever asking him to produce it, so there’s no verified footage confirming he was actually carrying his ID and gun license when he was killed.
ICE treated it like “a Call of Duty match”
— Ryan Saavedra (@RyanSaavedra) January 28, 2026
BBC obtains footage from January 13 of a man they say is Alex Pretti
Videos appears to show him spitting at federal law enforcement and attacking their vehicle
pic.twitter.com/cuXYO6PLIx
Supporting Charlamagne’s take, one commentator said: “Charlamagne is spot on. When a civilian getting assaulted has better trigger discipline than federal agents, the ‘I feared for my life’ defense crumbles. It highlights a scary reality: de-escalation seems to be a skill reserved for the victims, while the professionals are out here treating every encounter like a Call of Duty match.” Another supporter of Pretti’s family argued, “Furthermore, the new video provides them with a motive, which makes it premeditated murder.”
Pretti’s family has strongly rejected official characterizations, pointing to his career as a VA hospital ICU nurse and his peaceful intentions at the time of the incident. President Donald Trump labeled him an “agitator”. He even suggested he may have been an “insurrectionist” over the earlier footage.
In addition to the DOJ civil-rights probe, federal agencies including Customs and Border Protection, are conducting internal reviews. The agents involved have been put on administrative leave. High-level officials, such as DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and border enforcement leaders, continue to defend ICE actions.
