A newly released video shows Alex Pretti in a physical fight with federal immigration agents just 11 days before he was shot and killed by Customs and Border Protection officers. The footage, recorded on January 13, is raising serious questions about the growing tensions that led to the death of the 37-year-old intensive care nurse in Minneapolis.
According to CBS News, the video shows Pretti joining other protesters as they confronted federal immigration officers on a Minneapolis street. Pretti is seen kicking a government SUV and damaging its taillight. That action immediately prompted federal agents to jump out of the stopped vehicle and tackle him to the ground.
During the fight, a handgun appears to be tucked into Pretti’s waistband. This detail is important because footage from the day he was killed also showed him wearing a similar weapon. The video doesn’t make it clear whether federal officers arrested Pretti after this January 13 incident.
The earlier confrontation shows a troubling pattern of escalation
A representative for the Pretti family confirmed they knew about this earlier confrontation. They noted that Pretti was injured during the tackle but didn’t receive any medical care afterward. Homeland Security Investigations is aware of the footage and is actively analyzing it.
Less than two weeks after the street fight, Pretti was shot while he and several others were protesting an operation by immigration officers in south Minneapolis. Pretti was an intensive care nurse with the Veterans Administration. Local officials confirmed he was a lawful gun owner with a valid permit to carry.
A newly released video shows 37-year-old Alex Pretti confronting federal immigration officers on a Minneapolis street 11 days before he was fatally shot in another encounter with Customs and Border Protection agents. A Pretti family representative confirmed its authenticity to… pic.twitter.com/WWpOlDqtDS
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) January 29, 2026
Videos from the scene of the fatal shooting show Pretti holding a cellphone just before several CBP agents shoved him to the ground. During the fight, one agent removed the gun from Pretti’s waist. Moments later, another agent opened fire. The incident has sparked criticism, with some comparing ICE tactics to historical authoritarian forces.
According to a government report sent to Congress, two CBP agents fired their weapons during the encounter. Officials from President Trump’s administration have said the shots fired by the agents were “defensive” in nature. A federal law enforcement official confirmed that the agents involved in the incident have been placed on leave while the investigation continues.
The family’s attorney, Steve Schleicher, argued that the earlier incident was a violent assault that was completely unjustified. Schleicher stated, “A week before Alex was gunned down in the street, despite posing no threat to anyone, he was violently assaulted by a group of ICE agents. Nothing that happened a full week before could possibly have justified Alex’s killing at the hands of ICE on Jan 24.” Similar confrontations have occurred recently, with parents challenging agents at Minnesota schools.
