Witnesses have contradicted claims by the Department of Homeland Security that Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was brandishing a gun when he was fatally shot by ICE agents in Minneapolis on January 24. Two witnesses, whose names were redacted in court filings, provided sworn testimony stating they did not see Pretti with a weapon.
Pretti, who worked at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, was killed after intervening during a protest. Footage shows him coming to the aid of a woman who had been pushed over by officers before being pepper-sprayed, tackled, and shot multiple times. The Department of Homeland Security alleged the agents fired in self-defence because Pretti had a gun.
One witness said: 'The agents pulled the man on the ground. I didn’t see him touch any of them – he wasn’t even turned toward them. It didn’t look like he was trying to resist, just trying to help the woman up. I didn’t see him with a gun.' A second witness, a physician, echoed this, stating they 'did not see [Pretti] attack the agents or brandish a weapon of any kind'.
The physician also claimed that after the shooting, officers appeared to be counting Pretti's bullet wounds rather than checking for a pulse. Minneapolis police chief Brian O’Hara confirmed Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry, but witnesses insist he did not draw his weapon.
