ReportWire

Tag: Minneapolis

  • Another shutdown likely after ICE killings in Minnesota prompt revolt by Democrats

    [ad_1]

    The killing of a second U.S. citizen by federal agents in Minneapolis is deeply complicating efforts to avert another government shutdown in Washington as Democrats — and some Republicans — view the episode as a tipping point in the debate over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies.

    Senate Democrats pledged to block funding for the Department of Homeland Security unless changes are made to rein in the federal agency’s operations following the killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse.

    The Democratic defections threaten to derail passage of a broad spending package that also includes funding for the State Department and the Pentagon, as well as education, health, labor and transportation agencies. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) released a statement Monday calling on Republican Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to avert another shutdown by separating funding for DHS from the full appropriations package.

    “Senate Democrats have made clear we are ready to quickly advance the five appropriations bills separately from the DHS funding bill before the January 30th deadline. The responsibility to prevent a partial government shutdown is on Leader Thune and Senate Republicans,” Schumer said.

    The standoff also revealed fractures among GOP lawmakers, who called for a federal and state investigation into the shooting and congressional hearings for federal officials to explain their tactics — demands that have put unusual pressure on the Trump administration.

    Senate Republicans must secure 60 votes to advance the spending measure in the chamber — a threshold they cannot reach on their own with their 53 seats. The job is further complicated by a time crunch: Lawmakers have until midnight Friday to reach a compromise or face a partial government shutdown.

    Senate Democrats already expressed reservations about supporting the Homeland Security funding after Renee Good, a mother of three, was shot and killed this month by federal agents in Minneapolis. But Pretti’s killing led Democrats to be more forceful in their opposition.

    Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said Sunday he would oppose funding for the agencies involved in the Minneapolis operations, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.

    “I’m not giving ICE or Border Patrol another dime given how these agencies are operating. Democrats are not going to fund that,” he said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “I think anyone who votes to give them more money to do this will share in the responsibility and see more Americans die in our cities as a result.”

    Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) said in a statement last week that he would not “give more money to CBP and ICE to continue terrorizing our communities and breaking the law.” He reiterated his stance hours after Pretti’s killing.

    “I will vote against any additional funding for Trump’s ICE and CBP while they act with such reckless disregard for life, safety and the Constitution,” Padilla wrote on social media.

    While Senate Republicans largely intend to support the funding measure, some are publicly raising concerns about the Trump administration’s training requirements for ICE agents and calling for congressional oversight hearings.

    “A comprehensive, independent investigation of the shooting must be conducted in order to rebuild trust and Congressional committees need to hold hearings and do their oversight work,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) wrote on social media. “ICE agents do not have carte blanche in carrying out their duties.”

    Similar demands are being made by House Republicans.

    Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.), the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, formally sought testimony from leaders at ICE, Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, saying his “top priority remains keeping Americans safe.”

    Homeland Security has not yet provided a public confirmation that it will attend the hearing, though Garbarino told reporters Saturday he has been “in touch with the department” and anticipates a full investigation.

    Many Republican lawmakers expressed concern over federal officials saying Pretti’s killing was in part because of him having a loaded firearm. Pretti had a permit to carry, according to the Minneapolis police chief, and videos show him holding a cellphone, not brandishing a gun, before officers pushed him to the ground.

    “Carrying a firearm is not a death sentence, it’s a constitutionally protected God-given right, and if you don’t understand this you have no business in law enforcement of government,” Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) wrote on social media.

    Following pushback from the GOP, President Trump appears to be seeking ways to tone down the tensions. The president said Monday he had a “very good call” with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat he clashed with in recent weeks, and that they “seemed to be on a similar wavelength” on next steps.

    If Democrats are successful in striking down the Homeland Security spending package, some hinted at comprehensive immigration reforms to follow.

    California Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Fremont) detailed the plan on social media over the weekend, calling on Congress to repeal the $75 billion in supplemental funding for ICE in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year. The allocation roughly tripled the budget for immigration enforcement.

    The shooting came as a slate of progressives renewed demands to “abolish ICE” and replace it with an agency that has congressional oversight.

    Congress must “tear down and replace ICE with an agency that has oversight,” Khanna said. “We owe that to nurse Pretti and the hundreds of thousands on the streets risking their lives to stand up for our freedoms.”

    Democrats also are focusing on removing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. This month Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) introduced a measure to impeach Noem, saying she brought a “reign of terror to Minneapolis.” At least 120 House Democrats supported the measure, according to Kelly’s office.

    Party leaders recently called for an end to controversial “Kavanaugh stops,” which became central to ICE procedure following a September decision in Noem vs. Vasquez Perdomo by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. It allows for agents to stop people based on perceived race or for engaging in activities “associated with undocumented people,” like speaking a foreign language.

    Progressives also have endorsed the reversal of qualified immunity protections, which shield agents from misconduct lawsuits.

    Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) backed the agenda and called for ICE and Border Patrol agents to “leave Minnesota immediately.”

    “Voting NO on the DHS funding bill is the bare minimum. Backing Kristi Noem’s impeachment is the bare minimum. Holding law-breaking ICE agents legally accountable is the bare minimum. ICE is beyond reform. Abolish it,” she wrote Sunday on social media.

    [ad_2]

    Ana Ceballos, Gavin J. Quinton

    Source link

  • Fact-check: Trump officials’ Alex Pretti claims vs. video

    [ad_1]

    Video footage of the fatal shooting of Minnesota resident Alex Pretti by a federal immigration officer contradicts Trump administration officials’ claims about the event.

    Since Pretti’s Jan. 24 killing in Minneapolis, the federal government has provided no evidence to substantiate early statements and shared no details about what happened before the confrontation and in the moments leading to a Border Patrol officer firing his gun.

    Pretti, 37, was a U.S. citizen who worked as an Intensive Care Unit nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs hospital.

    Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti was “brandishing” a handgun and “attacked” officers. Social media videos verified by multiple news organizations show Pretti, who had a concealed carry permit, holding a cell phone as he directed traffic and tried to help a woman pushed to the ground by an officer.

    White House senior adviser Stephen Miller called Pretti a “domestic terrorist,” the same term some Trump officials used to describe Renee Nicole Good, a Minneapolis woman killed Jan. 7 by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.

    Noem, Miller and Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino said that because Pretti was carrying a handgun and ammunition, he planned to assassinate law enforcement — statements that incensed some Republicans who support Second Amendment rights. 

    “The suspect put himself in that situation,” Bovino said. “The victims are the Border Patrol agents there.”

    Pretti’s parents called their son a “kindhearted soul” and said Trump officials were not telling the truth. “The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting,” their Jan. 25 press statement said.

    With many questions remaining unanswered, here’s how Trump administration officials’ explanations conflict with available information.

    Video does not show Pretti approaching immigration agents with handgun

    Noem said Pretti “approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun.” 

    Bovino said, “This looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.”

    News outlets’ analysis of videos of the incident from several angles do not show Pretti approaching immigration officials with a handgun. 

    Videos analyzed by The New York Times, CNN, NPR, ABC, Reuters and Bellingcat show Pretti holding a cellphone horizontally in his right hand. 

    In the footage, Pretti stands between an officer and two civilians. The officer disperses pepper spray at Pretti and the people standing behind him. A still image from bystander video shows Pretti holding up his left arm in reaction.

    Several agents tackle Pretti to the ground. One officer appears to remove a gun from Pretti’s hip and walk across the street away from the group. Quickly after another officer fires several shots at Pretti as he is restrained by agents.

    “What the videos depict is that this guy did not walk up to anybody from (Customs and Border Protection) in a threatening manner,” former acting DHS undersecretary for intelligence John Cohen told ABC News. “For (DHS) to construe that he arrived at that location with the intent to shoot those border patrol officers, there’s nothing in the video evidence that we’ve seen thus far that would support that.”

    CBS News correspondent Margaret Brennan asked Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara if he had seen any evidence that Pretti was “brandishing” a gun, as Noem said.

    “You have a Second Amendment right in the United States to possess a firearm. And there are some restrictions around that in Minnesota,” O’Hara said Jan. 25 on “Face the Nation.” “And everything that we see that we are aware of shows that he did not violate any of those restrictions.”

    Trump administration officials called Pretti a ‘domestic terrorist’

    Miller described Pretti as a “domestic terrorist” who “tried to assassinate federal law enforcement.”

    In a press conference after the shooting, Noem said Pretti “came with weapons and ammunition to stop a law enforcement operation of federal law enforcement officers.” She said Pretti “committed an act of domestic terrorism. That’s the facts.”

    “When you perpetuate violence against a government because of ideological reasons and for reasons to resist and perpetuate violence, that is the definition of domestic terrorism,” Noem said.

    It’s the second time in a month that Noem said a person shot and killed by immigration officers was a domestic terrorist, before any investigation had taken place.

    The FBI defines domestic terrorism as acts dangerous to human life that violate federal or state criminal laws and appear intended to intimidate or coerce civilians; influence government policy by intimidation or coercion; or affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping. 

    Legal experts questioned the characterization of Good as a domestic terrorist, telling PolitiFact the label was prejudicial and an attempt to malign her.

    Editor’s note: This story will be updated with additional statements and analysis. Check back later Jan. 26.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Judge set to hear arguments on Minnesota’s immigration crackdown after fatal shootings

    [ad_1]

    A federal judge will hear arguments Monday on whether she should at least temporarily halt the immigration crackdown in Minnesota that has led to the fatal shootings of two people by government officers.The state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul sued the Department of Homeland Security earlier this month, five days after Renee Good was shot by an Immigration and Customs officer. Saturday’s shooting by a Border Patrol officer of Alex Pretti has only added urgency to the case.Since the original filing, the state and cities have substantially added to their original request. They’re trying to restore the state of affairs that existed before the Trump administration launched Operation Metro Surge on Dec. 1.The hearing is set for Monday morning in federal court in Minneapolis. Democratic Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said he plans to personally attend.They’re asking that U.S. District Judge Kathleen Menendez order federal law enforcement agencies to reduce the numbers of officers and agents in Minnesota to levels before the surge, while allowing them to continue to enforce immigration laws within a long list of proposed limits.Justice Department attorneys have called the lawsuit “legally frivolous” and said “Minnesota wants a veto over federal law enforcement.” They asked the judge to reject the request or at least stay her order pending an anticipated appeal.Ellison said at a news conference Sunday that he and the cities filed their lawsuit because of “the unprecedented nature of this surge. It is a novel abuse of the Constitution that we’re looking at right now. No one can remember a time when we’ve seen something like this.”It wasn’t clear ahead of the hearing when the judge might rule.The case also has implications for other states that have been or could be targets of intensive federal immigration enforcement operations. Attorneys general from 19 states plus the District of Columbia, led by California, filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting Minnesota.”If left unchecked, the federal government will no doubt be emboldened to continue its unlawful conduct in Minnesota and to repeat it elsewhere,” the attorneys general wrote.Menendez is the same judge who ruled in a separate case on Jan. 16 that federal officers in Minnesota can’t detain or tear gas peaceful protesters who aren’t obstructing authorities, including people who are following and observing agents.An appeals court temporarily suspended that ruling three days before Saturday’s shooting. But the plaintiffs in that case, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, asked the appeals court late Saturday for an emergency order lifting the stay in light of Pretti’s killing. The Justice Department argued in a reply filed Sunday that the stay should remain in place, calling the injunction unworkable and overly broad.In yet another case, a different federal judge, Eric Tostrud, late Saturday issued an order blocking the Trump administration from “destroying or altering evidence” related to Saturday’s shooting. Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty asked for the order to try to preserve evidence collected by federal officials that state authorities have not yet been able to inspect. A hearing in that case is scheduled for Monday afternoon in federal court in St. Paul.“The fact that anyone would ever think that an agent of the federal government might even think about doing such a thing was completely unforeseeable only a few weeks ago,” Ellison told reporters. “But now, this is what we have to do.”

    A federal judge will hear arguments Monday on whether she should at least temporarily halt the immigration crackdown in Minnesota that has led to the fatal shootings of two people by government officers.

    The state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul sued the Department of Homeland Security earlier this month, five days after Renee Good was shot by an Immigration and Customs officer. Saturday’s shooting by a Border Patrol officer of Alex Pretti has only added urgency to the case.

    Since the original filing, the state and cities have substantially added to their original request. They’re trying to restore the state of affairs that existed before the Trump administration launched Operation Metro Surge on Dec. 1.

    The hearing is set for Monday morning in federal court in Minneapolis. Democratic Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said he plans to personally attend.

    They’re asking that U.S. District Judge Kathleen Menendez order federal law enforcement agencies to reduce the numbers of officers and agents in Minnesota to levels before the surge, while allowing them to continue to enforce immigration laws within a long list of proposed limits.

    Justice Department attorneys have called the lawsuit “legally frivolous” and said “Minnesota wants a veto over federal law enforcement.” They asked the judge to reject the request or at least stay her order pending an anticipated appeal.

    Ellison said at a news conference Sunday that he and the cities filed their lawsuit because of “the unprecedented nature of this surge. It is a novel abuse of the Constitution that we’re looking at right now. No one can remember a time when we’ve seen something like this.”

    It wasn’t clear ahead of the hearing when the judge might rule.

    The case also has implications for other states that have been or could be targets of intensive federal immigration enforcement operations. Attorneys general from 19 states plus the District of Columbia, led by California, filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting Minnesota.

    “If left unchecked, the federal government will no doubt be emboldened to continue its unlawful conduct in Minnesota and to repeat it elsewhere,” the attorneys general wrote.

    Menendez is the same judge who ruled in a separate case on Jan. 16 that federal officers in Minnesota can’t detain or tear gas peaceful protesters who aren’t obstructing authorities, including people who are following and observing agents.

    An appeals court temporarily suspended that ruling three days before Saturday’s shooting. But the plaintiffs in that case, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, asked the appeals court late Saturday for an emergency order lifting the stay in light of Pretti’s killing. The Justice Department argued in a reply filed Sunday that the stay should remain in place, calling the injunction unworkable and overly broad.

    In yet another case, a different federal judge, Eric Tostrud, late Saturday issued an order blocking the Trump administration from “destroying or altering evidence” related to Saturday’s shooting. Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty asked for the order to try to preserve evidence collected by federal officials that state authorities have not yet been able to inspect. A hearing in that case is scheduled for Monday afternoon in federal court in St. Paul.

    “The fact that anyone would ever think that an agent of the federal government might even think about doing such a thing was completely unforeseeable only a few weeks ago,” Ellison told reporters. “But now, this is what we have to do.”

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Timberwolves return to play in

    [ad_1]

    The Minnesota Timberwolves returned to the court after the postponement of their game against the Golden State Warriors the day before, the focus clearly distracted by a community in crisis.

    “Their group was suffering. The vibe in the stands, it was one of the most bizarre, sad games I’ve ever been a part of,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the 111-85 victory on Sunday. “You could feel the somber atmosphere. Their team, you could tell they were struggling with everything that’s been going on and what the city has been through.”

    Before the game, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch’s voice cracked and faltered as the he expressed on behalf of the team a heartbreak for the community’s collective fear and pain from the ongoing immigration crackdown, following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by a federal officer.

    Finch presents a straightforward, no-nonsense approach in his public statements and rarely reveals much emotion, but he was clearly moved by the situation in Minneapolis. The game between the Timberwolves and Warriors was postponed by 24 hours, after Pretti was killed on Saturday.

    “I’m more than a resident. This is my home. I love living here. I love being a part of this community. I’ve been embraced from day one. People have been amazing. It’s sad to watch what is happening,” said Finch, who was hired by the Timberwolves five years ago. “On the human level, certainly as somebody who takes great pride in being here, I know a lot of our players feel the same. They all love being here, and it’s just hard to watch what we’re going through.”

    Afterward, Finch called it a “ghost of a performance” after his team’s lowest final score in more than four years. Kerr said he thought it was impossible for the fans and players to focus on the court.

    “They came to the game to try to forget about stuff, I guess, but I don’t think anything went away from the city and for their team,” Kerr said.

    The Timberwolves held a moment of silence for Pretti prior to the national anthem, just as they did for Renee Good before their game on Jan. 8, the day after she was fatally shot by a federal officer. The Trump administration in December launched what the Department of Homeland Security declared the largest immigration enforcement operation in history and earlier this month announced a surge of more officers to push their force past 2,000.

    The NBA announced Saturday that the rescheduling decision was made to “prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community” after Pretti was killed during a confrontation in a commercial district less than 2 miles south of Target Center. Finch said on Sunday that the Timberwolves pushed for the postponement to respect the public grieving process.

    “Playing basketball just didn’t feel like the right thing to do,” Finch said, thanking the NBA and the Warriors for their support.

    Warriors coach Steve Kerr, long one of the league’s most outspoken coaches, was measured but clearly moved as he expressed his own sympathy.

    “This has always been a great stop on the NBA tour. I love the city of Minneapolis. People here are wonderful, and it’s very sad what’s happening. I feel for the city. There’s a pall that’s been cast over the city. You can feel it. A lot of people are suffering, and obviously a loss of life is the No. 1 concern. Those families will never get their family members back,” Kerr said.

    Tens of thousands of people swarmed downtown Minneapolis on Friday in protest of the tactics and presence of immigration officers, a crowd the Warriors could see from their hotel as it moved toward Target Center. A smaller protest march took place downtown before the game Sunday.

    Plenty of other voices were raised around the sports world on Sunday.

    Women’s basketball star Breanna Stewart held a sign with “abolish ICE” printed on it during introductions at her Unrivaled league game. Minnesota Frost fans during a PWHL game chanted “Ice out now!” The NBA Players Association issued a statement in support of the protests in Minnesota and urged its members to speak up. Former Timberwolves standout Karl-Anthony Towns posted on social media his condolences for the families of Good and Pretti and said, “This moment demands that we reflect honestly on what our values truly are.”

    The Timberwolves joined the region’s four other major league men’s sports teams in signing a letter with the CEOs of more than 60 companies based in Minnesota, calling for “immediate deescalation of tensions and for state, local and federal officials to work together to find real solutions.”

    Perspectives in a polarized country vary wildly on what constitutes constitutionally protected protesting and what becomes violent political disruption, and Kerr seemed to sense that tension as he spoke before the game on Sunday.

    “People are so angry. There should be an appeal to our better angels to look after one another and to recognize what’s happening. We’re being divided by media for profit, by misinformation. There’s so much out there that is really difficult for all of us to sort of reconcile,” Kerr said. “And so in times like these you have to lean on values and who you are and who you want to be, either as an individual or a country.”

    After the game, Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards acknowledged the heaviness of the situation even though he’s not closely attuned to the details.

    “I just love Minnesota, all the love and support that they show me. So I’m behind whatever they’re with,” Edwards said. “Me and my family are definitely praying for everybody.”

    Teammate Julius Randle echoed a similar sentiment.

    “I’m not political at all. I don’t get into any of that stuff, but it’s tough, regardless of whatever is going on. Somebody loses their life, you never want to see that,” Randle said, adding: “Been nothing but a joy living here, so things like this happening in the community, it’s tough.”

    [ad_2]

    CBS Minnesota

    Source link

  • Minneapolis man says he was detained for hours after witnessing Alex Pretti shooting

    [ad_1]

    New affidavits filed in court detail how witnesses were arrested immediately after the shooting of Alex Pretti.

    One of those witnesses, who asked to be called Javier for safety reasons, said he was among dozens of what he overheard agents referring to as “USCs” — United States citizens in custody.

    “I’m not going to be intimidated by them,” Javier asserted to WCCO News. “My father always told me never to be scared of a person that believes as much as you do. Everybody in this world believes as much as I do, and that’s my sense of security right now.”

    He lives a few blocks from where Saturday’s shooting took place at 26th and Nicollet; he recalled arriving at the scene after neighbors alerted him to an ongoing raid by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

    “At that point in time, it’s not about me,” he said. “It’s about the cause — our people being protected. It’s about these people coming here to better their lives.”

    Pretti, 37, an ICU nurse who worked at the Minneapolis VA hospital, was identified as the man killed by a Border Patrol agent on the south side of Minneapolis Saturday morning. 

    The Department of Homeland Security said the agent acted in self-defense after attempting to disarm Pretti, but Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said that account was “nonsense” after reviewing videos of the shooting.

    Saturday’s incident happened less than three weeks after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good and amid an ongoing surge in immigration enforcement action across the city.

    “I watched the agent shoot him,” Javier said. “Whether I knew him or not, he died for the cause.”

    After the shooting, Javier said agents turned on him and others in the vicinity. They were taken to the Whipple Building and held for several hours.

    “It’s just cold all around, bro,” Javier said. “It just sucks the life out of you. You lose all hope.”

    Federal court records show no formal charges have been filed against Javier. He said he was held here first by himself, then with almost two dozen others from the scene. They were given water, food and medical attention before being released.

    [ad_2]

    Jonah Kaplan

    Source link

  • 1/25: CBS Weekend News

    [ad_1]


    1/25: CBS Weekend News – CBS News









































    Watch CBS News



    Winter storm impacts nearly 200 million Americans; Latest details after Border Patrol kills Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

    [ad_2]
    Source link

  • Curry scores 26 points, Warriors hand Timberwolves their 5th straight loss

    [ad_1]


    Stephen Curry scored 26 points to lead the Golden State Warriors past Minnesota 111-85 on Sunday, the fifth straight loss for the Timberwolves and their longest skid in more than three years.

    Curry added seven assists and four of his team’s season-high 20 steals after being listed as questionable to play because of knee soreness. Moses Moody added 19 points and eight rebounds for the Warriors (26-21), who moved within 1 1/2 games of the Timberwolves (27-19) for seventh place in the Western Conference.

    Brandin Podziemski had 12 points, six assists and four steals for the Warriors, who have won seven of their last 10 games.

    Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 32 points and 11 rebounds after the game was postponed a day following the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis man by federal immigration officers.

    There was a pregame moment of silence held for Alex Pretti, and a subdued crowd found little to cheer as the Timberwolves stumbled to their lowest final score in more than four years since a 104-84 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers at home on Nov. 5, 2021. This was their first time under 100 points this season.

    The Timberwolves found a burst of energy for a 10-0 run to close the first half, capped by a 3-pointer from Edwards that cut Golden State’s lead to 47-46. But they started the third quarter as flat as they did the first and trailed by double digits for the final 16:15 of the game. The last skid this long for the Timberwolves was six games from Dec. 21-31, 2022.

    Forwards Julius Randle (11 points) and Jaden McDaniels (three points) combined to shoot 4 for 19 from the floor for the Timberwolves.

    After the rematch here on Monday night, Golden State plays at Utah, and Minnesota plays at Dallas, both on Wednesday.

    [ad_2]

    CBS Minnesota

    Source link

  • Trump defends ICE after Minneapolis shooting

    [ad_1]

    President Trump addressed Border Patrol’s killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, writing, “Let our ICE patriots do their job.” He also accused the mayor of Minneapolis and governor of Minnesota of “inciting insurrection.” Willie James Inman reports.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Taylor Heise and Kendall Coyne Schofield help Frost beat Sirens 6-2

    [ad_1]


    Taylor Heise and Kendall Coyne Schofield scored first-period goals just 12 seconds apart to help the Minnesota Frost beat the New York Sirens 6-2 on Sunday.

    Katy Knoll added two goals, which included an empty-netter, for Minnesota (6-2-3-3). Grace Zumwinkle and Kelly Pannek each scored a goal and Abby Hustler had two assists. Maddie Rooney had 25 saves.

    Kristyna Kaltounkova scored her ninth goal of the season for New York (7-0-2-6) and Anna Bargman scored her second goal this season with six minutes to play.

    Heise cut in front of the net, took a pass from Mae Batherson, and flicked a back-hand shot into the net to open the scoring 6:12 into the game. Shortly after the ensuing faceoff, a Frost turnover near the center line led to a jailbreak goal by Coyne Schofield that made it 2-0.

    Coyne Schofield leads the PWHL in goals (10) and points (16).

    Kaltounkova scored with 1:32 left in the first period to cut the deficit to 2-1.

    Kayle Osborne stopped 21 shots for the Sirens.

    Fans at the Grand Casino Arena chanted “ICE out now!” and there was a moment of silence for Alex Pretti — the second Minneapolis resident killed by federal officers this month — prior to the start of the game.

    Up next

    New York: The Sirens visit Boston on Wednesday.

    Minnesota: The Frost host Vancouver on Wednesday.

    [ad_2]

    CBS Minnesota

    Source link

  • Obamas condemn federal immigration agents’ conduct: ‘This has to stop’

    [ad_1]

    Former President Obama and Michelle Obama called on Americans to recognize the dangers of the increasingly violent Immigration and Customs Enforcement crack-downs in the wake of the deadly shooting of an ICU nurse in Minneapolis.

    “The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy,” the Obamas wrote in a lengthy statement posted on social media. “It should also be a wake up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault.”

    Pretti, a 37-year-old Department of Veterans Affairs nurse, was seen using his cellphone to record ICE members deploying Saturday morning in a snowy Minneapolis neighborhood. Witness videos show federal immigration agents shoving a woman and Pretti coming to her assistance. He was then pushed and doused with a chemical spray, then tackled to the ground. He was shot 10 times.

    On Sunday, demonstrations occurred across the country to protest the tactics of federal immigration agents and comments by President Trump and others in his administration. Several administration officials seemed to blame Pretti for his death because he was carrying a weapon during a protest.

    Minneapolis police said Pretti had a license to carry a concealed weapon; gun rights groups have decried some administration rhetoric and called for a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding Pretti’s death.

    Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara on Sunday almost begged for calm for his city that has witnessed hundreds of ICE agents moving in. O’Hara told CBS News “this is not sustainable,” and that his officers were stretched thin trying to contain “all of this chaos.”

    “This has to stop,” the Obamas wrote.

    “Federal law enforcement and immigration agents have a tough job,” the Obamas wrote. “But Americans expect them to carry out their duties in a lawful, accountable way, and to work with, rather than against, state and local officials to ensure public safety.

    “That’s not what we’re seeing in Minnesota. In fact, we’re seeing the opposite,” the former first couple wrote.

    On Sunday, protests grew as people watched cellphone video captured by bystanders of Pretti’s shooting.

    Pretti’s parents, Susan and Michael Pretti, in a statement reported by the Associated Press, described their son as “a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital.”

    His shooting comes less than three weeks after an ICE agent shot an unarmed mother, Renee Nicole Good, in another Minneapolis neighborhood. The agency said she was attempting to harm an ICE agent although video of the incident appears to show her turning the wheel of her SUV away from the agent when he shot her in the face.

    “For weeks now, people across the country have been rightly outraged by the spectacle of masked ICE recruits and other federal agents acting with impunity and engaging in tactics that seem designed to intimidate, harass, provoke and endanger the residents of a major American city,” the Obamas wrote, describing such methods as “unprecedented tactics.”

    “The President and current administration officials seem eager to escalate the situation, while offering public explanations for the shootings of Mr. Pretti and Renee Good that aren’t informed by any serious investigation — and that appear to be directly contradicted by video evidence,” the Obamas wrote.

    They called on Trump administration officials to “reconsider their approach” and work constructively with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other state and local authorities “to avert more chaos and achieve legitimate law enforcement goals.”

    “In the meantime, every American should support and draw inspiration from the wave of peaceful protests in Minneapolis and other parts of the country,” the Obamas wrote. “They are a timely reminder that ultimately it’s up to each of us as citizens to speak out against injustice, protect our basic freedoms, and hold our government accountable.”

    [ad_2]

    Meg James

    Source link

  • The Battle for Minneapolis

    [ad_1]

    “Is that the one we were following before?” Sam asked.

    “No, that was an Expedition. This is a Suburban,” John, who was driving, replied. He took out a pair of binoculars and looked at the license plate, which was out of state.

    “Oh, yeah, this is the intimidator guy,” he said, without elaboration.

    A license-plate check with other observers in their chat confirmed that the car was a known ICE vehicle. Maintaining about a block of distance between them, John and Sam began following the S.U.V. (The A.C.L.U. has said that following law enforcement vehicles at a safe distance is legal as long as active operations aren’t obstructed and traffic laws are obeyed.) The Suburban’s driver soon became cognizant that he was being followed, and a game of cat and mouse began. At one point, the S.U.V. made a U-turn and drove past us. The driver, who wore glasses and no mask, gave a little wave.

    “That was the first unmasked one I’ve seen,” John said.

    Later, after temporarily parting ways with the S.U.V., the observers met it at a right angle at an intersection. John reversed, backing up and then stopping along the side of the street to avoid the impression that he was seeking an active confrontation. The S.U.V. turned into the oncoming traffic lane so that it now directly blocked us. For a minute, nothing happened. Then the S.U.V. pulled up alongside us, and its passengers rolled down their windows. This time they wore face coverings. In the back seat, one of the men held his phone camera out. (ICE uses facial-recognition technology to identify people.) The driver of the S.U.V. made a pointing gesture at John, then drove on.

    “It probably already was, but now your car is, like, completely made,” Sam said.

    “I’ve had them film it so many times,” John said.

    They decided not to continue following the S.U.V.

    The volunteer observation system has the flaws common to any vigilante system. Observers can get overzealous, and have misidentified ordinary people as federal agents. But John and Sam clearly felt that, without their observation, nobody would be holding ICE accountable. Local law-enforcement agencies, for the most part, have not intervened in ICE actions.

    “We have a paramilitary force in our city acting beyond the Constitution consistently,” Sam said. “Clearly, they are just racially profiling people straight up, right? Complete violations of the Fourth Amendment, everywhere.”

    “I just worry, like, what does it get us? I agree with you, but how do you enforce the Constitution?” John said.

    They sat for a minute.

    “You drive around,” John said.

    “You drive around the neighborhood with a friend and make the best decisions you can,” Sam agreed.

    Some restaurants in Minneapolis now keep their doors locked. The owners of a small neighborhood restaurant in South Minneapolis, a married couple who asked to stay anonymous because they feared retribution from the government, told me that they have started driving their nonwhite employees to and from work to try to protect them. (They submitted the necessary I-9 forms to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for all of their employees on hiring, they said, although the wife added, “We’re not document experts.”) When I met the couple at their restaurant one morning before lunch service, they both started to cry. The husband, who is a person of color, described how he now carries his passport card with him at all times, as does their son; the wife, who is white, feels less threatened. They listed several restaurants in the area that have made the decision to close, either to protect their staff or because their workers were too afraid to come in.

    “It feels like there’s a really broad swath of people that they are going after that has less to do with their, like, actual status and more to do with just vibes—you know, do you have an accent? What color is your skin? Are you going to culturally relevant grocery stores or restaurants or churches?” Athena Hollins, a state representative from a district in St. Paul, told me. “That’s reflected across the Twin Cities, because we’ve had so many people who have been detained who are U.S. citizens.”

    [ad_2]

    Emily Witt

    Source link

  • Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz tells Trump:

    [ad_1]

    Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz spoke to the press Sunday afternoon, one day after 37-year-old Alex Pretti was killed by federal agents in south Minneapolis — the third shooting this month amid Operation Metro Surge, and the second fatality carried out by federal immigration enforcement forces.

    “What’s the plan, Donald Trump? What is the plan?” Walz said. “What do we need to do to get these federal agents out of our state? If fear, violence and chaos is what you wanted from us, then you clearly underestimated the people of this state and nation. We are tired, but we’re resolved. We’re peaceful, but we’ll never forget. We’re angry, but we won’t give up hope. And above all else, we are clearly unified.”

    Walz said if President Trump’s intention was to “make an example of Minnesota,” it backfired.

    “We believe in law and order in this state. We believe in peace, and we believe that Donald Trump needs to pull these 3,000 untrained agents out of Minnesota before they kill another person, and we’re up here telling another story of a Minnesotan just trying to live their life without the interference,” Walz said. “To Americans who are watching this right now, and I don’t know, maybe you’re watching it with curiosity, bewilderment, horror, scorn or sympathy. I’ve got a question for all of you. What side do you wanna be on?”

    Full transcripts of Gov. Walz’s opening and closing statements

    Opening statement

    I had the privilege of talking with Michael and Susan, Alex’s parents, yesterday and the heartache in the hours after your son’s murdered in front of the world is one thing, but what stood out to me was a parent’s desire and their passion to make sure that the story of Alex was told.

    Someone who went to work to care for veterans, someone who was a valued co-worker, someone who relished and lived in this state in a big way whether it was outdoor activities or being down there on the street as a First Amendment witness to what ICE is doing to this, to this state.

    So, once again to Michael and Susan, when I talk to these parents, it’s always in deep confidential conversation. In this one, though, Michael was very clear to me. He said, “Don’t let them forget Alex’s story.”

    The world knows how he died. He died at the hands of ICE agents on the streets of Minneapolis. They want us to make sure we said how he lived. So to Michael and Susan, our deepest sympathies, but you have my commitment to continue to tell that story.

    So now we’ve got two Minnesotans dead, we didn’t have time to start telling [Renee Good‘s] story of a poet and a mother and a bright spirit, and now we’re telling Alex’s story.

    So my question is, what’s the plan, Donald Trump? What is the plan? What do we need to do to get these federal agents out of our state? If fear, violence and chaos is what you wanted from us, then you clearly underestimated the people of this state and nation.

    We are tired, but we’re resolved. We’re peaceful, but we’ll never forget. We’re angry, but we won’t give up hope. And above all else, we are clearly unified. If it was the intention of Donald Trump to make an example of Minnesota, then I’m damn proud of the example that the world’s seeing.

    We believe in law and order in this state. We believe in peace, and we believe that Donald Trump needs to pull these 3,000 untrained agents out of Minnesota before they kill another person, and we’re up here telling another story of a Minnesotan just trying to live their life without the interference.

    To Americans who are watching this right now, and I don’t know, maybe you’re watching it with curiosity, bewilderment, horror, scorn or sympathy. I’ve got a question for all of you: What side do you wanna be on?

    The side of an all powerful federal government that can kill, injure, menace and kidnap its citizens off the streets? On the side of a nurse at the VA hospital who died bearing witness to such a government? Or the side of a mother whose last words were, “I’m not mad at you”?

    The sight of tens of thousands of peaceful citizens who showed up to march when the wind chill was 40 below because they love this state and they love this country.

    You’re allowed to decide at any point that you’re not with us anymore. If you voted for this administration, heck, even if you thought Operation Metro Surge was a good idea, sounded like the thing to do a month ago, you’re still allowed to look at what’s happening here in Minnesota and say, “This isn’t what I voted for and this isn’t what I want.”

    I ask you not to stand by idly. Speak out, share what you’re seeing to others and urge others to put politics aside. We’re no longer having a political debate. We’re having a moral debate.

    We all want secure borders and immigration enforcement that prioritizes criminals, and I want to thank the press, especially the local press, who has done a deep dive to show that’s exactly what Minnesota does.

    But what you’re seeing is not common sense, lawful or humane enforcement. That’s not what this occupation is about.

    Let me say our conversation should not be about, and I know we get asked of what we’re doing out there, how many state patrol or police or national guard I can put on the street. This isn’t about how many people I can put on the street, it’s about how many of these people, these ICE agents and whoever else was thrown into this unholy mess, how many Donald Trump can get out of here?

    Minnesotans, you’ve won the hearts and minds of people across this country, and you’ve done it through your peaceful, resolved defense of your neighbors and the Constitution. 

    So once again Minnesotans, stay peaceful, stay safe. Change is coming and we can feel it. But this fight still goes on.


    Closing statement

    I’m going to close with one thing that I promised the parents, with Michael and Susan, and I speak to all Americans on this over these last 24 hours, what you saw, you’re now knowing more about this young man, beloved by his family, accomplished ICU nurse, skillful ability to work with veterans, someone who is beloved by community, no criminal record, lawful firearms owner.

    And you know what you saw, and then you heard the most powerful people in the world, certainly in this country — the president, vice president, Greg Bovino, Kristi Noem — narrate to you what you were looking at that this was a domestic terrorist, crazed, running at law enforcement with the intent to kill massive numbers of them, sullying his name within minutes of this event happening. And then closing the crime scene, sweeping away the evidence, defying a court order and not allowing anyone to look at it.

    I don’t care if you are conservative and you are flying a Donald Trump flag, you’re a libertarian, don’t tread on me, you’re a Democratic Socialist of America. This is an inflection point, America. If we cannot all agree that the smearing of an American citizen and besmirching everything they stood for and asking us not to believe what we saw, I don’t know what else to tell you.

    This has to be the moment.

    Your government here in Minnesota, I’ve made it clear I’m accountable for things that happen here, and I will take responsibility for that. Someone has to be accountable. Someone has to hold the final decision on this. And sitting behind a keyboard at 2 a.m. and besmirching a VA nurse and a son and a co-worker and a friend is despicable beyond all description.

    This is not “we need to see both sides.” This is not “we need to wait for this.” This is basic human decency. And at this point in time, I’m just asking try, for a moment, to set aside the political side of it and go back and ground in the humanity of this. This family has gone through enough, and to have the most powerful man in the world drag their dead son with absolutely no evidence and gaslight the entire country? This is enough.

    And I would say, President Trump, you can end this today. Pull these folks back. Do humane, focused, effective immigration control. You’ve got the support of all of us to do that, let our law enforcement continue to do what they do, making Minnesota one of the safest states in the country, one of the best places to live. Allow our children to go back to school. We have got children in Minnesota hiding in their houses, afraid to go outside.

    Many of us grew up reading that story of Anne Frank. Somebody is going to write that children’s story about Minnesota. And there’s one person who can end this now.

    And I’ll go back to it again. Please show some decency, pull these folks out, reset this situation and allow us to do the job that the attorney general and myself were elected to do: protect the people of Minnesota and carry out the laws of Minnesota.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Federal officials double down on Border Patrol actions in deadly Minneapolis shooting

    [ad_1]

    Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Greg Bovino continued to defend the actions of federal agents during a news conference on Sunday in the deadly shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti in south Minneapolis on Saturday. CBS News’ Lilia Luciano and Nicole Sganga have more.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz says

    [ad_1]


    Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz says “this is an inflection point” after fatal shooting of Alex Pretti – CBS News









































    Watch CBS News



    Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and the state’s Attorney General Keith Ellison gave an update on Sunday in the aftermath of Border Patrol’s fatal shooting of Alex Pretti.

    [ad_2]
    Source link

  • The Trump administration is lying about gun rights and the death of Alex Pretti

    [ad_1]

    Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents shot and killed a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis, Minnesota, outside a restaurant on Saturday. The victim, 37-year-old Alex Pretti, was licensed to carry a firearm, and he had one with him. The available footage does not show every detail of what happened, but Pretti was holding a cell phone rather than his gun when the officers initiated contact and began wrestling him to the ground.

    Trump administration officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, have already declared the killing completely justified, claiming that Pretti had intended to murder law enforcement agents. There is no evidence of this—none whatsoever—which makes it difficult to avoid the conclusion that the administration is prepared to brazenly lie about what happened.

    Other Republican officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and FBI Director Kash Patel, are taking the position that merely bringing a gun to a protest is a violation of the law or an indication of murderous intent. This is deeply wrong, and it is in conflict with the First and Second Amendments—two fundamental rights that Republicans typically profess to care about.

    As with the killing of Renee Good two weeks ago, the legal threshold at which lethal force can be justified is whether the officer who killed Pretti reasonably feared for his own safety. Only a careful, impartial investigation can determine that. The Justice Department has declined to conduct such an investigation into Good’s death, instead seeking to investigate the victim’s family.

    Video footage of Pretti’s death shows federal agents using pepper spray on protesters. Pretti appears to be recording the altercation with his cell phone. After an agent shoves one of the protesters to the ground, Pretti moves to assist her. Several CBP agents then decide to bring Pretti down.

    It’s conceivable that the agent who shot Pretti had the impression that he was reaching for his weapon—though the first shot clearly went off after another agent disarmed the protester. It’s also possible that the killer didn’t have even that much justification. Yet federal authorities have all but ruled out that possibility, and are making abjectly false statements in support of their mendacious posture.

    Noem has repeatedly claimed it as a fact that Pretti intended to harm officers. “This individual showed up to a law enforcement operation with a weapon and dozens of rounds of ammunition,” she told reporters. “He wasn’t there to peacefully protest. He was there to perpetuate violence.” Miller flatly asserted that Pretti was a “domestic terrorist” who “tried to assassinate federal law enforcement.”

    These are lies. They have no evidence that Pretti wanted to kill anyone. Even if evidence were unexpectedly to come out tomorrow that he was secretly a would-be assassin, it would still be wrong for officials to state as fact that Pretti intended to kill. There are no known facts that establish murder as his motivation. This is a man who was watching officers interact with protesters and recording it on his phone. Contrary to what the Department of Homeland Security wrote on X, he did not approach law enforcement, let alone with a gun drawn.

    These willful omissions and obvious lies do not inspire confidence that the federal government has any interest in discovering the truth of what happened. That is a glaring indictment of the Trump administration’s approach to immigration enforcement specifically and law enforcement in general.

    As if quietly conceding that none of the available facts were advancing their preferred narrative, several Republican officials are taking the ludicrous position that merely possessing a gun in the first place is evidence of an intent to cause harm. Bessent and Patel both sided with Noem on the Sunday morning shows, agreeing that Pretti should not have possessed the gun in the first place. Bessent said the protesters should carry billboards rather than guns. Patel said that bringing a gun to a protest was a violation of the law. That is simply untrue, as Minnesota is a concealed carry state, where it is lawful to carry a firearm in a public place. The notion that an individual cannot or should not exercise his First Amendment and Second Amendment rights at the same time is usually a misguided leftist talking point; in fact, the American Civil Liberties Union has taken criticism from conservatives and libertarians for becoming squishy on this and advocating against the gun rights of protesters after the January 6 riot.

    U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli went even further in the wrong direction, writing on X: “If you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you.”

    Rep. Thomas Massie (R–Ky.) took that to task. “Carrying a firearm is not a death sentence, it’s a Constitutionally protected God-given right, and if you don’t understand this you have no business in law enforcement or government,” wrote Massie.

    Essayli’s comments also drew a rebuke from Gun Owners of America, a lobby that defends the Second Amendment.

    “Federal agents are not ‘highly likely’ to be ‘legally justified’ in ‘shooting’ concealed carry licensees who approach while lawfully carrying a firearm,” the group wrote on X. “The Second Amendment protects Americans’ right to bear arms while protesting—a right the federal government must not infringe upon.”

    More Republicans should take their cues from Massie and Gun Owners of America. The administration is eager to jettison cherished First and Second Amendment rights to forestall any possibility that a federal agent might be held responsible for an improper shooting. If they succeed, the GOP will cease to be a political party that even pretends to care about free speech and gun rights.

    [ad_2]

    Robby Soave

    Source link

  • Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara says “people have had enough” after Border Patrol shooting

    [ad_1]


    Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara says “people have had enough” after Border Patrol shooting – CBS News









































    Watch CBS News



    Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara told CBS News “this is not sustainable” after a fatal shooting by a Border Patrol agent amid a weekslong immigation crackdown in the city.

    [ad_2]
    Source link

  • Videos and witnesses of fatal Minneapolis shooting at odds with Trump administration’s statements

    [ad_1]


    Videos and witnesses of fatal Minneapolis shooting at odds with Trump administration’s statements – CBS News









































    Watch CBS News



    Videos and eyewitness accounts of a Border Patrol agent’s fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis are differing from Trump administration statements. Lana Zak has the latest.

    [ad_2]
    Source link

  • Read the full text of Alex Pretti’s parents’ statement following his fatal shooting by Border Patrol forces

    [ad_1]

    The parents of Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by federal immigration enforcement in south Minneapolis Saturday morning, issued a statement calling their son “a good man” and decrying what they called “sickening lies told about our son by the administration.” 

    Pretti was a 37-year-old ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital and a U.S. citizen. An online fundraiser set up to help members of Alex Pretti’s family had already raised more than $230,000 by late Saturday night. 

    Pretti was a U.S. citizen, born in Illinois. Like Renee Good, who was killed in Minneapolis by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer earlier in January, court records showed he had no criminal record and his family said he had never had any interactions with law enforcement beyond a couple of traffic tickets. 

    “We are heartbroken but also very angry. 

    “Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately he will not be with us to see his impact. I do not throw around the hero term lightly. However his last thought and act was to protect a woman. 

    “The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down all while being pepper sprayed. 

    “Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man. Thank you.”

    While Minnesota officials called Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem’s claims that Pretti was engaged in domestic terrorism “nonsense” and “lies,” Pretti’s parents called the administration’s claims “reprehensible and disgusting.”

    [ad_2]

    CBS Minnesota

    Source link

  • Federal agents fatally shoot another Minneapolis resident; Minnesota officials say feds deny access to shooting scene

    [ad_1]

    Federal agents shot and killed a 37-year-old man in Minneapolis on Saturday morning, less than three weeks after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good and amid an ongoing surge in immigration enforcement action across the city.

    Alex Jeffrey Pretti, an ICU nurse who worked at the Minneapolis VA hospital, was identified as the man killed by a Border Patrol agent. The Department of Homeland Security said the agent acted in self-defense after attempting to disarm Pretti, but Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said that account was “nonsense” after reviewing videos of the shooting. “What I see with my eyes and what you’re going to see with your eyes makes that pretty hard to believe,” he said.

    Videos from the scene show that Pretti was holding a cellphone, not a gun, when he was shot. An agent can be seen emerging from the scuffle with a gun and turning away from the man when the first shot is fired.

    What to know about the shooting:

    • DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that agents fired “defensive shots” after “an individual approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun.” McLaughlin said the officers attempted to disarm the subject but the person “violently resisted.”
    • Minnesota officials said Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry. He had no criminal record.
    • Videos from the scene verified by CBS News show that Pretti was holding a phone in his right hand, and nothing in his left, before he was shot. Multiple videos also show a federal agent in a gray jacket reaching into the scuffle empty-handed and emerging with a gun in his right hand, turning away from the man when the first shot is fired, then running across the street as more shots are fired.
    • Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called on the Trump administration to pull ICE agents from Minneapolis, characterizing their efforts as an “absolute abomination.”
    • Pretti’s family said in a statement that Pretti was “a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital.” They condemned what they said were “sickening lies told about our son by the administration.” They said he was not holding a gun, but rather a phone, during the encounter with federal agents.
    • The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said DHS representatives blocked them from accessing the scene of the shooting, even though the bureau had obtained a judge’s signed search warrant.
    • Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison says he and his office will argue in court on Monday to end the ongoing immigration surge in Minnesota. The City of Minneapolis is also filing a declaration in hopes a judge will issue a temporary restraining order to put a pause on the operation.

    Follow live updates below.

    [ad_2]

    WCCO Staff

    Source link

  • Videos and witness accounts of deadly Minneapolis shooting at odds with official statements

    [ad_1]

    Videos quickly emerged Saturday showing the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis protester by a Border Patrol agent. 

    Bystander videos verified by CBS News show the scene from multiple angles, starting shortly before the encounter that ended in the shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, an American citizen who worked as an ICU nurse.

    The events unfolded at around 9 a.m. Saturday. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino said officers were pursuing a man in the country illegally who was wanted for domestic assault. Protesters have been trying to disrupt such operations amid an ongoing federal immigration crackdown, and a group of people in the area sounded high-pitched whistles, honked horns and yelled out at the officers.

    Among them was Pretti. At one point, video shows Pretti standing in the street and holding up his phone with his right hand; his left hand appears empty. 

    A screengrab from a video obtained by Reuters shows a man identified as Alex Pretti using a cellphone to record video moments before he was fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis on Jan. 24, 2026. 

    VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS


    He comes face-to-face with an officer in a tactical vest, who places his hand on Pretti and pushes him toward the sidewalk. Pretti is talking to the officer, though it is not clear what he is saying.

    Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem later said Pretti “approached” officers with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun, but did not say whether he “brandished” the weapon. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said he was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.

    Videos filmed before the shooting show Pretti did not have a gun in his hands.

    Protesters can be seen wandering in and out of the street as officers persist in trying to talk them back. One protester is put in handcuffs. Some officers are carrying pepper spray canisters.

    Pretti comes into view again when the video shows an officer wearing tactical gear shoving a protester. The protester, who is wearing a skirt over black tights and holding a water bottle, reaches out for Pretti.

    The same officer shoves Pretti in his chest, leading Pretti and the other protester to stumble backward.

    A different video then shows Pretti moving toward another protester, who falls over after being shoved by the same officer. 

    Law enforcement officers and protesters before the shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis

    A screengrab from a video obtained by Reuters shows a law enforcement officer spraying irritants at a man identified as Alex Pretti, before he was fatally shot in Minneapolis on Jan. 24, 2026. 

    VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS


    Pretti moves between the protester and the officer, reaching his arms out toward the officer. The officer deploys pepper spray, and Pretti raises his hand and turns his face. The officer grabs Pretti’s hand to bring it behind his back, and deploys the pepper spray canister again and then pushes Pretti away.

    Seconds later, at least a half-dozen federal officers surround Pretti, who is wrestled to the ground and hit several times. Several agents try to bring Pretti’s arms behind his back, and he struggles.

    Federal officers at scene of shooting in Minneapolis

    A screengrab from a video obtained by Reuters shows a federal officer pinning down a man, identified as Alex Pretti, before he was fatally shot in Minneapolis on Jan. 24, 2026. 

    VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS


    Videos show an officer in a gray jacket, who is hovering over the scuffle with his right hand on Pretti’s back, reaching into the scuffle empty-handed and then backing away from the group with what appears to be a gun in his right hand.

    Someone shouts “gun, gun.” It is not clear if that’s a reference to the weapon authorities say Pretti had.

    The agent is holding that gun and turning away from the man when the first shot is fired. Videos show the agent in the gray jacket then running across the street as numerous shots can be heard. 

    Videos do not clearly show who fired the first shot. In one video, seconds before the first shot, one officer reaches for his belt and appears to draw his gun. That same officer is seen with a gun to Pretti’s back as three more shots ring out. Pretti slumps to the ground. Videos show the officers backing away, some with guns drawn.

    At a briefing Saturday afternoon, Noem shared an image of the gun she said was recovered. She said officers attempted to disarm the man but he “reacted violently,” and “fearing for his life and the lives of his fellow officers around him, an agent fired defensive shots.”

    Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem

    Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shows a picture of a firearm she said was carried by the man who was killed by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis on Jan. 24, 2026.

    Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AP


    Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who said he watched one of several videos, said he saw “more than six masked agents pummeling one of our constituents, shooting him to death.”

    Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said, “I’ve seen the videos, from several angles, and it’s sickening.”

    Sworn statements from witnesses

    Sworn declarations submitted in federal court Saturday night by people who said they witnessed the shooting contradict key points of the events presented by federal officials.

    One witness described seeing Pretti observing and filming the scene “just with his camera out. I didn’t see him reach for or hold a gun.” 

    An agent “shoved one of the other observers to the ground” and then pepper sprayed several people, the witness said. “The man with the phone put his hands above his head and the agent sprayed him again and pushed him.”

    The witness continued: “The agents pulled the man on the ground. I didn’t see him touch any of them — he wasn’t even turned toward them. It didn’t look like he was trying to resist, just trying to help the woman up. I didn’t see him with a gun. They threw him to the ground. Four or five agents had him on the ground and they just started shooting him. They shot him so many times.”

    Another witness, a pediatrician, described watching out their apartment window and seeing “one civilian … yelling at the ICE agents, but I did not see him attack the agents or brandish a weapon of any kind.”

    Suddenly, the witness said, an agent “shoved him to the ground. My view of the altercation was partially obstructed, but after a few seconds, I saw at least four agents point guns at the man. Then I saw the agents shoot the man six or seven times.”

    “Initially I was stunned,” the witness continued. “From what I could see from my apartment, there was absolutely no need for any violence, let alone lethal force by multiple officers.”

    The witness then described rushing down to the scene, telling officers they were a doctor and performing CPR until an EMS crew arrived. The man had at least four bullet wounds and no pulse, the witness said.

    [ad_2]

    Source link