 "The man killed by a federal officer in Minneapolis today was an ICU nurse named Alex Pretti. (X)")
Minneapolis was the scene of a shocking and chaotic encounter earlier this week that ended with 37-year-old Alex Pretti being shot dead by a US Border Patrol agent , and new video analysis is now shedding light on what happened in the moments before the gunfire erupted.
In video footage reviewed by CNN, Pretti appears to be speaking with federal agents in the street in what seemed like a calm exchange. American tabloid TMZ reported that he was seen with his hands raised in front of his chest, holding a cellphone, and the conversation didn’t look physical until an agent put his hand on Pretti and began pushing him toward the curb.
Watch the video here:
Scuffle and gun grab
According to the detailed video analysis, the situation quickly escalated. In the footage, another officer can be seen reaching into the scuffle and emerging holding what looked like Pretti’s firearm. Agents in the video are heard shouting, “he’s got a gun,” as the unidentified officer pulls the weapon from Pretti’s waistband while others subdue him.
Just over a second after that officer walks away with the gun, one shot rings out, followed by at least nine more, the publication said. It remains unclear whether the agent who seized the weapon told others he had taken it, or exactly which agent fired first.
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The US Department of Homeland Security described the incident as an attempt to disarm an armed suspect. In a statement, the agency said: “The officers attempted to disarm the suspect but the armed suspect violently resisted…Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots.”
However, CNN reported that in the video clips reviewed, Pretti was not seen wielding a weapon before the fatal shots, and earlier he was seen holding only a cellphone.
Local authorities have confirmed that Pretti had a firearm and two magazines recovered at the scene, and he legally owned the weapon with a permit.