NO ANGEL: Alex Pretti Appears To Spit At ICE, Kick Out Tail Light In Previous Minneapolis Confrontation Before He Was Shot By Border Patrol
[Video below.] Newly released video footage appears to document a volatile encounter between Alex Pretti and federal immigration agents more than a week before he was shot and killed in Minneapolis, showing behavior that authorities are now reviewing as part of their broader assessment of events leading up to his death.
The footage, which the BBC said it has verified, reportedly shows the ICU nurse yelling at federal agents as they drove away from a Jan. 13 protest, spitting in their direction and then kicking the rear of a black SUV. According to The News Movement, the video captures Pretti smashing the vehicle’s taillights, prompting officers to stop, exit the car, and subdue him.
In the recording, the man—wearing clothing similar to what Pretti was seen wearing on the day he was fatally shot last Saturday—can be seen being forced to the ground by at least five agents. As the confrontation escalated, tear gas was released into the surrounding crowd, which included protesters blowing whistles amid the chaos.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Homeland Security Investigations is “reviewing” the newly surfaced video, telling The Post that agents are examining the footage as part of their ongoing evaluation of Pretti’s prior interactions with federal authorities.
According to a CNN report published Tuesday, Pretti, 37, was already familiar to federal officials and had sustained a broken rib during a separate violent encounter with agents roughly a week before his death. The report said immigration officers had been tracking and documenting information about Pretti as well as other anti-ICE protesters involved in recent demonstrations in Minneapolis.
Investigators with DHS believe the fatal shooting may have been triggered by a stray discharge from Pretti’s own firearm after it was taken from him. Authorities say Pretti had a loaded pistol tucked into his belt when he inserted himself between another protester and ICE officers. Border Patrol agents tackled him, removed the weapon, and during the ensuing struggle, two agents opened fire, killing him.
WATCH: {Matzav.com}