A man shot and killed by federal officers in south Minneapolis on Saturday, January 24, has been identified as Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, his family told the Associated Press.
Pretti was a U.S. citizen originally from Illinois and worked in the ICU at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs health system, the Associated Press reported. Family members told the AP he had no criminal record and had been active in protests after the January 7 shooting death of Renee Nicole Macklin Good, another U.S. citizen killed during an immigration operation.
The shooting happened near West 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue during what federal officials described as a targeted immigration enforcement action. In a statement posted online, the Department of Homeland Security said officers were trying to arrest an undocumented person wanted for violent assault when Pretti approached with a handgun and two magazines and “violently resisted” efforts to disarm him. DHS said an officer fired “defensive shots” and medical aid was provided, but Pretti died at the scene.
Video of the encounter circulated quickly on social media.
CBS News Minnesota reviewed video footage that shows a wild fight in the street with multiple federal officers around a man on the ground. The man in the video looks like he is carrying a phone just before the gunfire. The gun is not clearly visible in the video.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said at a news conference that Pretti’s known prior law enforcement contacts were limited to parking-related issues, and he acknowledged the public video would be part of how the incident is understood.
The killing set off fresh clashes at the scene and near a federal building where demonstrators have gathered repeatedly this month. The City of Minneapolis urged residents to avoid the area as authorities responded.
At the center of the political fight is who controls accountability. In a written statement, Fox21Online quoted Gov. Tim Walz calling the federal presence a “federal occupation” and saying Minnesota should lead the investigation. Governor Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have called the White House to end operations, while federal officials have defended the operations.
The shooting comes weeks after the Jan. 7 killing of Renee Macklin Good during an earlier enforcement encounter, an incident that helped spark daily protests and heightened scrutiny of federal immigration activity in the Twin Cities. Family members said Pretti had joined demonstrations in the aftermath of Good’s death.
State and federal authorities were expected to investigate the shooting. Officials have said multiple agencies were responding at the scene as protests continued Saturday.
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