Alex Pretti’s death ruled a homocide after cause of death horror | US | News
An autopsy revealed the 37-year-old died after suffering “multiple gunshot wounds” when he was shot during a demonstration in Minneapolis. The Jan. 24 incident triggered new waves of protests in the twin cities, which were shaken by the heavy presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.
Pretti was held down by several Border Patrol agents, disarmed, and then shot multiple times. The Department of Homeland Security largely justified the shooting by claiming that the 37-year-old critical care nurse planned to “massacre” federal officials with the 9 mm semiautomatic pistol he was legally carrying at the time.
Numerous videos quickly refuted that claim, showing that Pretti did not “brandish his gun” in front of BP agents moments before his death, as DHS chief Kristi Noem claimed.
The damning autopsy could change the course of the Justice Department’s investigation into the matter; This sent shockwaves across the country just weeks after federal agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good during a traffic stop.
The new report also represents a significant defeat for Noem, who has faced harsh criticism from lawmakers in both parties over Pretti’s death. Even the President Donald Trump Given that “border czar” Tom Homan was assigned to Minneapolis to oversee the crackdown on immigrants, it became clear that the secretary of homeland security was unhappy with his performance.
Last week, White House officials told Politico that President Trump’s decision to replace Noem was “not a sign of trust” and that “Tom should be responsible.”
Former U.S. Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino, who refused to answer questions challenging the government’s claim that Pretti “brandished a gun” in front of his agents, was demoted and relocated from Minneapolis following the shooting.
Federal agents involved in the shooting were initially assigned to locations other than the twin cities before being placed on administrative leave.
Two of the agents were identified Sunday as Jesus Ochoa and Raymundo Gutierrez, according to federal records.
It remains unclear whether the Department of Justice will cooperate with Minneapolis authorities, as the two bodies clashed throughout the incident.
One official even claimed that federal law enforcement tried to remove local police from the scene on Nicollet Avenue, where the attack occurred.
Just a week after Pretti was fatally shot, residents continued their protests against the presence of federal law enforcement in Minneapolis.
Several memorials to both Pretti and Good have been established in the twin cities.
