A federal agent points a weapon at a person outside a hotel during a noise demonstration protest in response to federal immigration enforcement operations in the city in Minneapolis. (AP Photo)
Officials in US President Donald Trump’s administration defended the fatal shooting of a US citizen in Minneapolis on Sunday as Congressional leaders, including Republicans pushed back against the official account of the killing of 37-year-old Alex Pretti and pressured the White House to launch a full investigation as tensions soared in the city.
Trump administration’s officials have maintained the stance that Pretti assaulted federal officers which compelled the agents to fire in self-defence. However, the account being presented by the Department of Homeland Security is at odds with the videos recorded by bystanders.
Demonstrations are being held in Minneapolis for federal agents to leave the city as they continue with the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown task against “illegal aliens”.
Apart from Democrats, Republican senators have also begun to call for a full scale investigation into the second fatal shooting in Minneapolis in over two weeks.
Republican Senator of Alaska Lisa Murkowski called for a “comprehensive, independent investigation of the shooting” and said that it will help in “rebuilding trust”. “ICE agents do not have carte blanche in carrying out their duties,” Murkowski added.
"One officer had his finger bitten clean off by an agitator yesterday… Have you heard from any of the Democrat leadership in Minnesota about that?"@Sec_Noem: "No. They haven't expressed any concern for injuries to our officers." pic.twitter.com/dLtXLyaAjt
Republican Senator of North Carolina Thom Tillis has also demanded a “thorough and impartial investigation” into the killing of US citizens in Minneapolis. Tillis said that “any administration official who rushes to judgement and tries to shut down an investigation before it begins are doing an incredible disservice to the nation,” BBC reported.
Videos on Saturday showed that Pretti was reportedly holding a phone in his hand and not a gun as claimed by the federal government and that he was trying to help other protesters who were pushed to the ground by agents.
Minnesota’s Democratic Governor Tim Walz has called on Trump to pull federal agents from the state and asked a federal judge to restrain the Trump administration’s “unconstitutional excesses.”
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A federal agent points a weapon at a person outside a hotel during a noise demonstration protest in response to federal immigration enforcement operations in the city in Minneapolis. (AP Photo) 
