New video shows Alex Pretti confronted federal agents days before fatal shooting
Newly authenticated video shows Alex Pretti confronting federal immigration agents days before he was shot and killed during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis, adding context to the ongoing investigation.
By EEW Magazine Newswire
A photo of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, is displayed near the scene where he was fatally shot by a U.S. Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis on Jan. 24, 2026. (Credit: AP Photo/Adam Gray)
MINNEAPOLIS — Newly verified video shows Alex Jeffrey Pretti in a physical confrontation with federal immigration agents on Jan. 13, 11 days before he was fatally shot by U.S. Border Patrol officers, renewing scrutiny of the events leading up to his death.
Video reviewed and confirmed by BBC News and U.S. broadcast partners shows Pretti, 37, confronting federal agents during a protest in Minneapolis. In the footage, Pretti is seen yelling at officers near a government vehicle and kicking out a taillight.
An agent exits the vehicle and grabs Pretti, who is then tackled to the ground amid a crowd and chemical irritant deployment. A handgun appears visible in Pretti’s waistband, but the video does not show him reaching for it during the altercation.
A family representative confirmed to CBS News that Pretti is depicted in the video, and that his family was aware of the incident at the time.
Pretti did not appear to be taken into custody following the Jan. 13 incident. Separate video and witness accounts indicate he sustained injuries during the confrontation, consistent with a broken rib. It is not yet clear whether federal agents involved in the later shooting had seen or were aware of the earlier encounter.
Pretti was shot and killed on Jan. 24, 2026, during an immigration enforcement operation along Nicollet Avenue in the Whittier neighborhood. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said U.S. Border Patrol agents fired “defensive shots” after a man with a handgun approached officers and resisted efforts to disarm him. Federal officials have said two agents fired their weapons during the encounter.
Multiple bystander videos from the Jan. 24 incident reviewed by Reuters, the BBC and EEW Magazine Online show Pretti holding a cellphone and at times attempting to assist others before being pinned to the ground by several agents. Footage appears to show an officer removing a firearm from Pretti’s waistband shortly before shots are fired. The official DHS narrative that Pretti “approached” agents with a weapon has been challenged by analysts of the video evidence, which indicates he did not brandish the firearm prior to being tackled.
Pretti was a Minneapolis resident, a U.S. citizen and a licensed gun owner with a permit to carry, according to local law enforcement. He worked as an intensive care unit nurse for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and held an active nursing license issued in 2021.
The newly released footage of the Jan. 13 altercation has rekindled public debate over the sequence of events leading up to Pretti’s death. His family’s attorney said the earlier interaction did not justify the use of deadly force on Jan. 24.
Pretti’s death amplified tensions around expanded federal immigration enforcement in Minneapolis. It followed earlier fatal encounters this month, including the Jan. 7 killing of Renée Good by a federal immigration agent and a Jan. 14 shooting in which another man was wounded.
Department of Homeland Security officials said footage from both incidents is under review by Homeland Security Investigations. The two federal agents who fired their weapons on Jan. 24 have been placed on administrative leave, DHS confirmed.
Investigations by multiple agencies, including the FBI and state authorities, are ongoing, and no official determination of legal fault has been announced.
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