U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) placed two agents on administrative leave following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
Pretti’s death on Saturday sparked protests across Minnesota and nationwide, with lawmakers from both parties calling for the removal of the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Previous altercation and preliminary report
A preliminary DHS report sent to Congress says the two officers fired during a scuffle with Pretti. Officials initially claimed that Pretti had brandished a gun, but the details remain under investigation.
New footage, published by News Movement and shared with the BBC, shows an altercation between Pretti and federal officers 11 days before his death. In the video, Pretti shouts, gestures aggressively, and kicks a vehicle while officers restrain him. A gun appears in his waistband.
Pretti’s family lawyer, Steve Schleicher, condemned the shooting: “Nothing that happened a full week before could possibly have justified Alex’s killing at the hands of ICE on Jan 24.”
Agents on administrative leave
CBP confirmed that it removed the agents from duty according to standard protocol. Officials have not disclosed exactly when the agents went on leave or how long the suspension will last. Typically, federal agents involved in shootings remain off duty while investigators examine the case.
Earlier reports said the agents had been reassigned to a different city but continued to work. Similarly, an ICE agent who shot Renee Good in Minneapolis on January 7 also went on administrative leave.
Tensions between federal authorities and Minneapolis
President Donald Trump claimed he aimed to de-escalate the situation in Minneapolis, but tensions rose between the White House and city officials. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey wrote on X that the city would not change its sanctuary policies, which limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
Trump responded on Truth Social, warning that the mayor’s stance was “a very serious violation of the Law” and accused him of “playing with fire,” escalating the conflict between federal and local authorities.
Source: BBC
Also read: Minnesota shooting: Trump says government will ‘de-escalate’
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