DHS Reviewing Body-Camera Footage in Fatal Shooting of Minneapolis Nurse

Investigators are reviewing body-camera footage from multiple federal agents involved in the fatal shooting of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, according to numerous reports on Monday.The shooting, which took place Saturday in Minneapolis, has intensified the debate over federal immigration enforcement tactics in the city. Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital, was shot and killed during an encounter that was filmed from multiple viewpoints and widely circulated on social media.Department of Homeland Security spokesman Tricia McLaughlin said that the agents involved were part of the Border Patrol Tactical Unit, a specialized force equipped with body-worn cameras, according to NBC News.Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem promised a thorough review of the evidence. “Every video will be analyzed, everything will be looked at,” she said.The existence of body camera footage could prove critical in clarifying the events leading up to the shooting, as official accounts and eyewitness videos appear to contradict one another.In a Monday briefing at the White House, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said she has not heard President Trump say he will release any body camera footage. She also said administration officials are meeting with members of Congress about requirements to have federal immigration officers wear body cameras.DHS has said that the still-unidentified agent shot Pretti in self-defense after he “violently resisted attempts to disarm him.” However, videos show Pretti holding a phone in his right hand and nothing in his left before the shooting. He was, however, carrying a handgun, for which he had a permit, according to the city’s police chief.Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino defended the agents during a Sunday interview. “The victims are the Border Patrol agents. I’m not blaming the Border Patrol agents,” Mr. Bovino said on CNN. “The suspect put himself in that situation.”Conversely, Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota blamed “untrained” federal agents for the incident. Pretti’s family released a statement condemning the “sickening lies told about our son by the administration,” describing him as “a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for.”The incident marks the second fatal shooting by a federal officer in Minneapolis this month, following the death of Renée Nicole Good 17 days ago. Good’s death had already sparked anti-ICE demonstrations in the city.In response to the escalating situation, President Trump on Monday announced he is sending “border czar” Tom Homan to Minnesota to manage the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency’s operations.Ms. Leavitt addressed the shooting during a Monday briefing. “Nobody in the White House, including President Trump, wants to see people getting hurt or killed in America’s streets,” she said. She added that the president has “outlined a clear and simple path to restoring law and order in Minnesota,” which includes asking local leaders to turn over incarcerated undocumented immigrants to federal authorities.The legal repercussions are already unfolding. U.S. District Court Judge Eric Tostrud granted a temporary restraining order over the weekend, barring the DHS from altering or destroying evidence connected to Pretti’s killing.In addition, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison was scheduled to be in court Monday to argue for an end to Operation Metro Surge, the federal initiative that brought increased immigration enforcement to the area.

DHS Reviewing Body-Camera Footage in Fatal Shooting of Minneapolis Nurse

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