Minneapolis shooting: ICE operation turns violent, witnesses allege excessive force

Minneapolis shooting: Who is Alex Pretti?

Alex Pretti, 37, of Minneapolis, was fatally shot by Border Patrol in Minneapolis on Saturday. He was an ICU nurse for the VA. 

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A confrontation involving ICE agents in Minneapolis Saturday morning has raised concerns over the use of force and the accuracy of official statements. 

ICE agents in Minneapolis 

What we know:

On Saturday, Jan. 24, ICE agents were involved in an incident on Nicollet Ave. and 28th, where they reportedly used pepper spray and force against observers. Witnesses claim the agents shot a man who was trying to help a woman get up after being pushed to the ground. 

The backstory:

The incident unfolded when a resident heard whistles indicating ICE activity and decided to document the situation. The resident observed ICE agents surrounding cars and confronting observers, leading to a tense situation where pepper spray was used. 

Minneapolis shooting: Disconnect between DHS claim, witness video

A 37-year-old Minneapolis man was fatally shot by a Border Patrol agent Saturday morning. FOX 9's Tim Blotz takes a look at how the DHS claims of self-defense appear to differ from eyewitness video. We also hear from the Minnesota Gun Owner's Caucus as Alex Pretti, the man killed, had a legal permit to carry a firearm. 

Eyewitness account detailed in court documents

The backstory:

One witness to the incident provided detailed account of what happened in a declaration filed in U.S. District Court Saturday against Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem and DHS.

• A resident in the Whittier neighborhood of Minneapolis who works as a children's entertainer and specializes in face painting was getting ready for work just before 9 a.m. when they heard whistles blowing, signaling that federal agents were in the area.
• The witness, who has observed prior incidents, went to the area to see what was going on. The witness drove to Nicolett and 26th, where several federal agents had set up a convoy. There were also about 15 observers at the location, recording and observing ICE activity.
• The witness says ICE agents were surrounding cars and punching car windows. They were stopping vehicles on Nicollet, so the witness retreated. A man was in the street helping traffic move through smoothly.
• The witness says ICE activity was happening near 27th and Nicollet, and someone was being thrown to the ground. The witness started recording, and was standing in the street with a man holding his phone and recording video.
• An agent approached and asked them to back up. The man stayed in the street and was filming while other observers backed away, as another ICE agent threatened them with pepper spray. The man went closer to support the observers being threatened, with his camera out. The witness did not see the man reach for or hold a gun.
• The witness says the ICE agent shoved an observer to the ground, and started pepper spraying three people. The man with the phone put his hands above his head, and the agent sprayed him again and pushed him. The witness says the man then tried to help up the woman an ICE agent had shoved to the ground, and agents kept spraying. More agents came over and grabbed the man who was still trying to help the woman get up.
• The witness says federal agents pulled the man on the ground - the witness didn't see him touch any of them, it didn't look like he was trying to resist, just trying to help the woman up. The witness didn't see him with a gun. The witness says agents threw the man to the ground, four or five agents "had him and the ground and just started shooting him. They shot him so many times."
• The witness says they don't know why they shot him. He was only helping. The witness was five feet from the man and "they just shot him."
• The witness read the statement from DHS about what happened, and says it is wrong. The witness says the man did not approach agents with a gun. He approached them with a camera. The man was "just trying to help a woman get up and they took him to the ground."
• The witness says they feel afraid. In the hours after the shooting they don't feel like they can go home because they heard ICE agents were looking for them. The witness says agents are not telling the truth about what happened. The witness heard other observers might have been arrested and taken to the Whipple Building.
• The witness says they are disgusted and gutted at how federal agents are treating neighbors and Minnesota.

Community on edge

Local perspective:

The community is on edge following the incident, with residents expressing fear and frustration over the treatment of their neighbors. The witness, who recorded the event, stated that the official DHS account of the incident is inaccurate. 

Saturday's shooting is the third incident involving federal agents since Operation Metro Surge started. Two of the three have ended in fatal shootings.

What we don't know:

The full details of why the agents resorted to shooting remain unclear, as well as the current status of other witnesses who may have been detained.