In Minnesota, late on Saturday night, a federal judge was swift in action, as he ordered a measure of preserving evidence and preventing agencies and top officials from destroying or altering evidence concerning the death of a Minneapolis nurse—Alex Pretti.
U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud granted a temporary restraining order to protect all evidence related to the January 24, 2026, shooting that transpired in Minneapolis. This restraining order prohibits all federal offices or officials from deleting or amending all associated evidence.
The emergency request was made by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, which requested the court to act on it quickly in order to prevent loss or alteration of evidence. The order covers evidence collected at the scene as well as items now held in the defendants’ exclusive custody, barring defendants from destroying or altering them.
The incident pertains to the fatal shooting by the federal officers that occurred near the area of 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue in the city of Minneapolis on the night of January 24, 2026.
In the order, the court wrote that the defendants, their employees, agents, and anyone acting in concert with them are “ENJOINED from destroying or altering evidence” related to the fatal shooting. The restriction extends beyond what remains at the scene and includes evidence removed from the area and evidence now in the defendants’ exclusive custody.
The case names a wide variety of federal agencies as well as those associated with those agencies. The slate of defendants includes the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol, as well as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pamela Bondi, and FBI Director Kash Patel. The filing is listed as 26-cv-628 (ECT/DTS).
The judge set tight timelines to keep things moving. The plaintiffs were ordered to serve the defendants with the motion, supporting papers, and the order by 9 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026.
The date for objections set is Monday, the 26th of January, 2026. The court is to hear the case at 2:00 p.m. in Courtroom 7D, Warren E. Burger Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse, 316 N. Robert Street, Saint Paul, Minnesota. The judge will hear the objections to the order and determine whether it is to remain.
The requirement to post a bond was waived by the court on the basis of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(c). The relevant order emphasizes “the preservation of evidence” while the issue of access or control remains unresolved, rather than focusing on what happened during the shooting.
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