Alex Pretti had been injured in a scuffle with federal agents in Minneapolis just one week before he was shot dead, it has emerged.
Pretti, 37, was left with a broken rib after being tackled by a group of officers during a protest against Donald Trump‘s immigration crackdown, a source told CNN.
The alleged assault occurred after Pretti stopped his car after seeing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers chasing a family on foot, the insider said.
Pretti allegedly began shouting and blowing a whistle, and was then tackled to the ground by five agents. The source claimed one officer leaned on his back, causing his ribs to break.
The ICU nurse, who allegedly ‘thought he was going to die’, was reportedly released at the scene – but allegedly remained on federal agents’ radar.
Agents deployed in Minneapolis were instructed earlier this month to ‘capture all images, license plates, identifications, and general information on hotels, agitators, protestors,’ according to documents obtained by the outlet.
Federal officers are understood to have kept documented details about Pretti, although it is unclear when they first started collecting information on him.
He was shot dead by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis on Saturday.
Alex Pretti, 37, was left with a broken rib after being tackled by a group of federal officers during a protest roughly one week before he was shot dead, a source told CNN
Multiple bystander videos show a Border Patrol agent shooting and killing Pretti after a roughly 30-second scuffle around 9am Saturday.
The videos appear to contradict statements by DHS, which said the shots were fired ‘defensively’ against Pretti as he ‘approached’ them with a gun.
In the videos, Pretti is seen with only a phone in his hand. None of the footage appears to show him with a weapon.
During the scuffle, agents discovered that he was carrying a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, and they opened fire with several shots.
A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order banning the Trump administration from ‘destroying or altering evidence’ related to the death of Pretti.
It has not been confirmed whether Pretti’s gun fired any shots.
Department of Homeland Security boss Kristi Noem was quick to label Pretti a domestic terrorist, a title that Trump himself has not said.
Since the shooting, the president announced that Border Czar Tom Homan will take operational control of deportations in Minnesota.
Dissatisfaction with the Trump administration’s deportation crackdown, ICE and CBP has increased since Pretti was shot dead. Noem has also seen a dramatic loss of confidence, the latest Daily Mail/JL Partners poll revealed.
Democrats in Congress have already begun circulating an impeachment resolution against Noem with more than 120 signatures. However, given the Republican control of both the House and the Senate, they are unlikely to succeed.
Trump said in an interview Tuesday that he had ‘great calls’ with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Monday.
Walz’s office said Tuesday that the Democratic governor met with Homan and called for impartial investigations into the shootings involving federal officers. They agreed on the need to continue to talk, according to the governor.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
