Videos of Minneapolis shooting contradict government claims, show unarmed man
Videos taken by bystanders have emerged showing the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old protester who was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis. The videos appear to contradict statements made by the Trump administration, which claimed that Pretti approached officers with a gun.
The videos show Pretti holding only his phone, with no visible weapon. During the scuffle, agents discovered he had a 9mm semiautomatic handgun on him and opened fire, shooting Pretti multiple times. The incident occurred during Operation Metro Surge, an immigration crackdown in Minneapolis and St. Paul that has been criticized by local leaders.
Mayor Jacob Frey described what he saw in one of the videos: "More than six masked agents pummeling one of our constituents, shooting him to death." He also expressed dismay at the characterization of the incident.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti attacked officers, while Customs and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino claimed that Pretti wanted to cause maximum damage and harm law enforcement. President Donald Trump's deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, referred to Pretti as a "would-be assassin."
Pretti was not armed at the time of the shooting, according to the videos. In fact, he appears to be trying to de-escalate the situation by talking to an officer. The videos show protesters using high-pitched whistles, honking horns, and yelling at officers as they try to disrupt the operation.
The Department of Homeland Security claimed that Pretti violently resisted officers who tried to disarm him. However, the videos do not support this claim. One video shows Pretti moving towards another protester when one officer deploys pepper spray, causing Pretti to raise his hand in defense.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz expressed dismay at the characterization of the incident and called for an investigation into the matter. The governor described what he saw from several angles and found it "sickening."
Videos taken by bystanders have emerged showing the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old protester who was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis. The videos appear to contradict statements made by the Trump administration, which claimed that Pretti approached officers with a gun.
The videos show Pretti holding only his phone, with no visible weapon. During the scuffle, agents discovered he had a 9mm semiautomatic handgun on him and opened fire, shooting Pretti multiple times. The incident occurred during Operation Metro Surge, an immigration crackdown in Minneapolis and St. Paul that has been criticized by local leaders.
Mayor Jacob Frey described what he saw in one of the videos: "More than six masked agents pummeling one of our constituents, shooting him to death." He also expressed dismay at the characterization of the incident.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti attacked officers, while Customs and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino claimed that Pretti wanted to cause maximum damage and harm law enforcement. President Donald Trump's deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, referred to Pretti as a "would-be assassin."
Pretti was not armed at the time of the shooting, according to the videos. In fact, he appears to be trying to de-escalate the situation by talking to an officer. The videos show protesters using high-pitched whistles, honking horns, and yelling at officers as they try to disrupt the operation.
The Department of Homeland Security claimed that Pretti violently resisted officers who tried to disarm him. However, the videos do not support this claim. One video shows Pretti moving towards another protester when one officer deploys pepper spray, causing Pretti to raise his hand in defense.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz expressed dismay at the characterization of the incident and called for an investigation into the matter. The governor described what he saw from several angles and found it "sickening."
videos are showing Alex Pretti holding only his phone, no gun in sight! But Homeland Security is saying he attacked officers? that's just not adding up... all these claims of him being a "would-be assassin" or trying to cause maximum damage are just so suspicious. I think we need to take a closer look at what really happened here 
. It's crazy how the Trump admin is already spinning this story to fit their narrative. And to think, the whole thing was just an immigration crackdown? not exactly the most peaceful situation...
I'm so tired of these videos popping up online that are totally contradicting what the government is saying. Like, who does that? 
They're literally showing Alex Pretti being beaten by cops and shot to death while holding his phone, not a gun. It's wild how they're trying to spin this story. I mean, come on, "would-be assassin" is just a whole different level of crazy talk 
. And what's up with all these conflicting stories? Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is calling for an investigation and it's about time someone did some real digging into this situation. It's not like we don't have enough proof already – the videos speak for themselves 
.
what's goin on here? i'm so done with trump & his administration lyin' to us. mayor frey said somethin that sounds super legit, like more than 6 agents were doin the assualt & shootin him dead. but trump's people got a whole diff story 
i'm so mad at the way they're describin this situation. it sounds super fishy to me 
this is so messed up 
i mean, i get that protesters can get heated but to be shot 6 times by border patrol agents over a phone? that's just not right 
they're claiming pretti was armed when the vids show him with his phone out... what are we even talking about here? 
and it's crazy how different everyone's story is 
like mayor frey said one thing, noem another, trump's people are straight up trying to spin this thing into something else... i'm just so disappointed in the way this is being handled 
, these vids show him holding his phone and trying not to escalate the situation at all. And what's up with them using pepper spray? 
That's just asking for things to get out of hand. I'm all for keeping people safe but we need to make sure we're not making a bad situation worse...
. And for them to call him a "would-be assassin"? That's just disgusting 
. It's like they're trying to justify their own actions by villainizing the victim. I think we need to take a closer look at what really happened here and make sure justice is served 
. My child would be so scared if they saw this video... it's hard to believe that's how our society treats its citizens 
. The vids show him with his phone, no gun at all, and he's even trying to calm down an officer! 
What happened to de-escalation? It just seems like these agents overreacted and hurt someone who wasn't even a threat 
. It just seems like a mess, with multiple people involved and no clear story 
. I wish they'd just tell us what really happened