Key Witness Submits Sworn Account of Fatal Shooting by Immigration Agents
The woman who captured the most definitive footage of a protester being fatally shot by immigration agents has now filed a chilling sworn affidavit detailing her firsthand observations. Known online as the 'pink coat lady' due to her distinctive bright outfit visible in multiple videos, this witness provides crucial evidence in an ongoing lawsuit against the Trump Administration brought by the American Civil Liberties Union.
The Morning That Turned Deadly
On Saturday morning around 8:50am, the witness heard whistles outside her Whittier neighborhood home in Minneapolis, signalling the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. "I decided to check it out on my way to work," she wrote in her affidavit. "I've been involved in observing in my community because it is so important to document what ICE is doing to my neighbors."
What she witnessed would become a national controversy. Intensive care nurse Alex Pretti, 37, was filming ICE agents with his phone as they arrested a female protester. According to the witness, one agent pushed another protester to the ground before pepper-spraying all three individuals directly in their faces. "The man with the phone put his hands above his head and the agent sprayed him again and pushed him," she recounted.
The Fatal Encounter
Video evidence shows Pretti, already pepper-sprayed and on his knees, attempting to help the woman stand up. "The ICE agents just kept spraying so much that I could feel the pepper spray in my own eyes," the witness wrote. Multiple federal agents surrounded Pretti as he was restrained face-down on the pavement.
"The agents pulled the man on the ground. I didn't see him touch any of them—he wasn't even turned toward them," she stated. "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. They threw him to the ground."
What followed has become the subject of intense scrutiny. "Four or five agents had him on the ground and they just started shooting him. They shot him so many times," the witness wrote. "I was five feet from him and they just shot him."
Contradicting Official Accounts
The witness directly contradicted the Department of Homeland Security's version of events, which claimed Pretti threatened agents with a firearm. "The man did not approach the agents with a gun. He approached them with a camera," she insisted. "He was just trying to help a woman get up and they took him to the ground."
Video analysis shows a complex sequence where one agent wearing a gray jacket and pink baseball cap reached into Pretti's waistband and retrieved what appeared to be a handgun. As that officer moved away, it's believed the weapon may have accidentally discharged, prompting other agents to open fire on Pretti, who was already restrained.
Medical Response Controversy
Adding to the controversy, a 29-year-old physician whose apartment overlooks the scene submitted his own affidavit describing the aftermath. He said agents initially prevented him from reaching Pretti, demanding to see his physician's license before eventually allowing access after a pat-down search.
"I was confused as to why the victim was on his side, because that is not standard practice when a victim has been shot," the doctor wrote. "Checking for a pulse and administering CPR is standard practice. Instead of doing either of those things, the ICE agents appeared to be counting his bullet wounds."
Family Outrage and Community Response
Pretti's family has vehemently rejected the official account, calling it "sickening lies" and insisting video evidence clearly shows their son holding a phone, not a firearm. "Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump's murdering and cowardly ICE thugs," the family stated. "He has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down."
The shooting occurred just over a mile from where Renee Good, 37, was killed by an ICE officer on January 7th, a case that had already sparked weeks of protests in Minneapolis. Following Saturday's incident, hundreds of protesters flooded the streets, clashing with federal officers who deployed batons and flash bangs, prompting Governor Tim Walz to activate the Minnesota National Guard.
A Life Remembered
Alex Pretti is remembered by his family as "a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital." An avid outdoorsman who enjoyed mountain biking and adventures with his recently deceased Catahoula Leopard dog, Pretti had participated in protests following Good's killing.
"He cared about people deeply and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States with ICE," said Michael Pretti, Alex's father. "He thought it was terrible, you know, kidnapping children, just grabbing people off the street. He cared about those people, and he knew it was wrong, so he did participate in protests."
As night fell on Saturday, hundreds gathered somberly at a growing memorial near the shooting scene. Caleb Spike, who came from a nearby suburb, expressed the community's frustration: "It feels like every day something crazier happens. What's happening in our community is wrong, it's sickening, it's disgusting." Local businesses stayed open to offer warmth, water, coffee and snacks to mourners and protesters alike.
The 'pink coat lady' witness wrote that she has gone into hiding, fearing arrest for filming the shooting. "I feel afraid," she confessed. "Only hours have passed since they shot a man right in front me and I don't feel like I can go home because I heard agents were looking for me." Her detailed affidavit now stands as crucial evidence in what promises to be a protracted legal and political battle over the use of force by immigration enforcement agencies.
