Newly obtained footage reveals federal agents tackling intensive care nurse Alex Pretti and spraying gas at protesters in Minneapolis on January 13, just 11 days before he was fatally shot by Border Patrol agents. The incident highlights aggressive federal tactics and has fueled public outrage and demands for accountability.
The Independent has obtained new footage showing federal agents violently tackling intensive care nurse Alex Pretti to the ground and spraying gas at protesters on January 13 in Minneapolis. This incident occurred 11 days before Pretti was fatally shot by two Border Patrol agents. The video, offering a new perspective, shows Pretti kicking a government vehicle taillight, prompting a group of four to five heavily armed federal agents in gas masks to aggressively pin him to the pavement. Witnesses described the agents' behavior as 'very, very aggressive,' angering local residents concerned about potential detentions of individuals accused of being in the country illegally. After releasing Pretti, federal forces fired what appeared to be pepper spray and gas at the crowd, with witnesses reporting agents 'brutalizing people,' 'firing directly into the crowds,' and 'smoking the crap out of our neighborhood' with pepper spray and pepper balls. Homeland Security Investigations is currently reviewing the January 13 incident. Pretti’s attorney, Steve Schleicher, stated that the 'violent assault' a week prior could not justify Pretti's subsequent killing. On January 24, Pretti was shot and killed by federal agents after intervening to assist two female protesters. A preliminary review indicates an agent deployed pepper spray, leading to a struggle where Pretti 'resisted.' Agents claimed Pretti had a gun, but video footage later showed him holding a cell phone, not a weapon, and saying, 'Do not touch me,' as agents piled on him before gunshots rang out. Pretti was licensed to carry a concealed weapon, which was reportedly taken from his waistband by an agent moments before he was shot at least 10 times. Despite video evidence, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller initially claimed Pretti 'attacked' officers and was a 'domestic terrorist' brandishing a gun. These claims sparked widespread backlash and calls for accountability across Minnesota and the nation. The killings of Pretti and Renee Good (another individual killed by an ICE agent) have intensified protests against the aggressive tactics of ICE and Border Patrol agents, who had surged into Minnesota as part of the Trump administration's mass deportation efforts. Following public uproar, the Trump administration reportedly shifted its approach, with Border czar Tom Homan sent to Minneapolis and ICE agents ordered not to engage with protesters to 'lower the temperature.'
