Newly surfaced video shows Alex Pretti in a physical confrontation with federal immigration officers in Minneapolis 11 days before he was fatally shot by Border Patrol agents.
The footage from 13th January shows Pretti yelling at federal vehicles and kicking the taillight of a Ford Expedition with flashing emergency lights. Moments later, an officer wearing a helmet and gas mask exits the vehicle and confronts him. Multiple officers surround Pretti as tear gas is deployed and the crowd is pushed back.
As Pretti turns from the camera, what appears to be a handgun is visible in his waistband. The footage does not show him reaching for the weapon, and it remains unclear whether the officers noticed it at the time.
The videos have reignited national debate over Pretti’s death. Donald Trump Jr., US president’s eldest son, shared one of the clips on X, writing, “Just a peaceful legal observer.”
Pretti, 37, was an intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center. He was shot and killed on 24th January during a separate encounter with federal officers. His family’s attorney said the earlier incident had no bearing on the fatal shooting.
Pretti was shot dead on a sidewalk where he had been filming immigration officers. Bystander videos show an officer pushing him to the ground as several others attempt to restrain him. When one officer notices Pretti’s licensed firearm, he shouts, “He’s got a gun,” after which two officers open fire. Pretti was shot in the back while on the ground, still holding his phone.
Officials from the Trump administration initially said Pretti approached officers with a gun and attacked them. Video evidence, however, shows he did not brandish the weapon or assault officers.
