FBI won’t share Alex Pretti shooting evidence, Minnesota authorities say | Minnesota ICE shootings
Minnesota law enforcement officials say the FBI is refusing to share any evidence from its investigation into the death of Alex Pretti, who was killed by federal immigration authorities in late January.
Pretti was shot by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials in Minneapolis on January 24 during the Trump administration’s escalation of enforcement operations against immigrants in the city. His killing came just two weeks after an immigration officer shot and killed Renee Good and 10 days after Julio C Sosa-Celis was shot.
On Monday, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), a state-level criminal investigative law enforcement agency, said it had officially notified the FBI that it would not be releasing any information or evidence related to Pretti’s shooting.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz demanded an “impartial” investigation into the Minneapolis shootings.
“Trump’s left hand cannot examine his right hand” in question Monday in response to the FBI’s refusal to share evidence. “Families of the dead deserve better”
BCA’s chief also expressed disappointment.
“While this lack of cooperation is worrying and unprecedented, the BCA is committed to thorough, independent and transparent investigations of these incidents, even if hampered by a lack of access to important information and evidence.” added Drew Evans.
He added that the agency remained committed to a joint investigation and said it would “continue to pursue all lawful avenues to obtain access to relevant information and evidence.”
The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The agency had also previously refused to share any information about the shooting of Good or Sosa-Celis; It was this lack of cooperation that led the BCA to halt its investigation into Good’s murder.
“As we have said before, full access to evidence, witnesses and information is necessary to meet the investigative standard demanded by Minnesota law and the public, without which we cannot do this,” BCA said. in question In January, after the FBI dropped the incident from its investigation.
In December, the Trump administration deployed federal authorities to the Minneapolis area for an aggressive immigration roundup called “Operation Subway Surge,” which was the scene of a series of violent incidents in which masked officers arrested people they suspected of lacking proper proof of residence.
Both Democrats and Republicans have called for an independent investigation into the Minneapolis shootings.
Pretti, a nurse with the Department of Veterans Affairs, was observing immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis when she was killed. Good was similarly a monitor in Minneapolis and was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in his car. Homeland security officials initially accused Good, 37, of “weaponizing” his vehicle, but local authorities disputed those allegations.
Both Pretti and Good were US citizens, and video footage of their shootings was widely distributed, sparking mass protests.
Sosa-Celis was shot in the leg by an ICE officer last month. Trump administration officials initially claimed Sosa-Celis and two other men “ambushed” the ICE officer and then “took a defensive shot to defend his life.” But last week, two ICE officials were placed on leave while they were investigated for allegedly swearing about the interaction.
