New videos of the Minneapolis protest that emerged on social media show a scuffle between Alex Pretti and federal immigration agents 11 days before his fatal death.
The video, which was shot on January 13, showed Pretti spitting, shouting an expletive at the federal officers and struggling with them. His winter coat comes off when he is on the ground, and he either breaks free or the officers let him go.
When he turns his back to the camera, what appears to be a handgun is visible in his waistband. The videos do not show Pretti reaching for the gun, and it is unclear whether the federal agents saw it.
Pretti, 37, an intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, was shot dead by a Border Patrol agent during a raid on Saturday.
Posting one of the videos of the scuffle, Donald Trump Jr, the president’s eldest son, commented, “Just a peaceful legal observer.”
Meanwhile, Steve Schleicher, attorney representing Pretti’s parents, said that the earlier altercation in no way justified the officers’ fatal shooting of Pretti.
“A week before Alex was gunned down in the street – despite posing no threat to anyone – he was violently assaulted by a group of (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents,” Schleicher said.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that they are “reviewing” the new videos and the incident.
In the latest video footage, Pretti is seen in a winter coat, glasses, and a dark baseball cap, shouting at federal vehicles. At one point, he appears to spit on the driver’s side of a dark Ford Expedition and yells ‘trash’ as the vehicle’s emergency lights flash.
As the SUV begins to pull away, Pretti kicks the vehicle’s taillight twice, shattering the red plastic casing on the second strike and leaving it hanging. In response, the rear door of the vehicle opens, and an immigration officer—equipped with a gas mask and helmet—steps out and begins to approach Pretti.
The official grabs Pretti’s shirt at his chest and pulls him onto his knees. Other masked officers also surround them and try to subdue Pretti.
