‘He’s got a gun’: DHS report reveals two agents fired at Alex Pretti in Minneapolis
The notice to the Congress stated that a Border Patrol officer and a Customs and Border Protection officer each fired Glock pistols at Pretti, who was killed in the encounter.
A man in handcuffs runs to avoid being detained by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis. (AP Photo)
An initial report to the US Congress by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) indicates that two federal officers fired shots at 37-year-old US citizen Alex Pretti during the encounter over the weekend in Minneapolis as federal immigration raids continued in Minnesota on Tuesday.
According to a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) official’s notice to the Congress, officers tried to take ICU nurse Pretti into custody but he resisted which led to a struggle, AP reported. The official said that during the struggle, a Border Patrol officer shouted “He’s got a gun” several times.
The notice to the Congress stated that a Border Patrol officer and a Customs and Border Protection officer each fired Glock pistols at Pretti, who was killed in the encounter.
A framed photograph of Alex Pretti, along with candles and an American flag, sits at a memorial outside the Minneapolis VA hospital in Minneapolis. (AP)
The initial report, submitted to the Congress, states “CBP personnel attempted to take Pretti into custody. Pretti resisted CBP personnel’s efforts and a struggle ensued. During the struggle, a BPA [border patrol agent] yelled, ‘He’s got a gun!’ multiple times. Approximately five seconds later, a BPA discharged his CBP-issued Glock 19 and a CBPO also discharged his CBP-issued Glock 47 at Pretti.”
An analysis was carried out by the investigators from CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility based on a review of body-worn camera footage and agency documents, the notice stated. A US law requires the agency to inform congressional committees about death in CBP custody in under 72 hours.
The developments come after US President Donald Trump ordered border czar Tom Homan to take over his administration’s immigration crackdown operation in Minnesota in the wake of the second killing of US citizens, including Alex Pretti and Renee Good this month.
In an interview to Fox News, Trump said by sending Homan to Minnesota “we’re going to de-escalate a little bit.” The president added, “Tom, as tough as he is, gets along” with governors and mayors, even in Democratic areas.
When asked by reporters on Tuesday whether Pretti’s killing was justified, the US president responded saying, “A big investigation was underway.”
The DHS has claimed that Pretti had a gun in his hand, however, videos recorded by bystanders contradict the department’s version and shows that the ICU nurse had a phone in his hand instead.
Share
A man in handcuffs runs to avoid being detained by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis. (AP Photo) 
