New footage reveals ICU nurse’s violent clash with federal agents days before fatal Minneapolis shooting
Minneapolis police shooting: The scuffle took place between Pretti and federal immigration officers on January 13 and the pair of videos show Pretti shouting expletives at the immigration officers as he struggled with them.
Minneapolis police shooting: This image shows Alex Pretti scuffling with federal immigration officers in Minneapolis. (AP)
Alex Pretti Minneapolis shooting video: The 37-year-old US citizen Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by Border Patrol officers last week in Minneapolis, was forcefully taken to the ground by federal immigration agents after kicking out the tail light of their vehicle during a demonstration in Minneapolis 11 days before being shot, new videos that emerged on Wednesday showed.
The scuffle took place between Pretti and federal immigration officers on January 13, and the pair of videos shows Pretti shouting expletives at the immigration officers as he struggled with them.
Pretti, who was an ICU nurse, fell on the ground, and his winter coat came off. He later either breaks free or the officers let him go, and he rushes away, the video showed. The two-minute video also captured what appears to be a handgun visible in Pretti’s waistband.
MUST WATCH: Footage of an a man who looks like Alex Pretti with a gun in his waistband, spitting on and attacking federal law enforcement officers and kicking the tail light of their vehicle on January 13.
However, the video doesn’t show Pretti reaching for the gun, and it’s unclear from the footage if federal agents saw the weapon. A person aware of the matter told AP that the person in the video is Pretti and that he told his family about the confrontation.
This image, taken from a video by Max Shapiro, shows Alex Pretti, centre, scuffling with federal immigration officers in Minneapolis. (Max Shapiro via AP)
It remains unclear what preceded the events captured on camera, but Pretti can be seen yelling at federal agents and hitting the taillight of the car as the agents moved away in the unmarked vehicle.
But soon after, a heavily armed agent in tactical gear is seen exiting the car, and a scuffle takes place between Pretti and the officer.
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Reacting to the new footage, Steve Schleicher, an attorney representing Pretti’s family said, “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.”
Pretti, who was an intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, was shot dead by two federal agents on Saturday after the Department of Homeland Security claimed that he had a gun in his hand.
But the bystanders’ video contradicted the DHS version and showed that Pretti had a phone in his hand and not a gun.
Nischai Vats is a Deputy Copy Editor at The Indian Express. His work primarily covers US politics and visa and immigration policy, alongside broader international developments, with an emphasis on accuracy, verification, and clear explainers.
Experience
Nischai joined The Indian Express in May 2024 where he works on writing, editing, and refining high-impact stories for digital platforms. His role involves ensuring editorial consistency, factual accuracy, and clarity in coverage of complex policy-driven subjects.
Earlier in his career, he worked across Indian digital newsrooms in reporting and editing roles, including stints at Inshorts, Newslaundry, Tiranga TV, and Catch News. His newsroom experience spans rapid digital publishing, ground reporting, and copy editing across national, civic, and policy beats.
Expertise
His core areas of focus include:
US politics and governance: Coverage of American political developments, executive actions, and policy shifts.
US visa and immigration policy: Reporting and editing stories on visa categories, regulatory changes, and immigration pathways affecting global audiences.
Editorial accuracy and copy editing: Ensuring clarity, language precision, and verification in fast-paced digital news environments.
Authoritativeness and trustworthiness
Nischai's journalism is grounded in verified sources, official documentation, and clear attribution, in line with The Indian Express’ editorial standards. His background across reporting and editing enables him to translate complex policy updates into reliable, reader-friendly coverage. ... Read More
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Minneapolis police shooting: This image shows Alex Pretti scuffling with federal immigration officers in Minneapolis. (AP) 
