Alex Pretti, the 37‑year‑old Minneapolis ICU nurse who was fatally shot by Border Patrol agents on Saturday, had been involved in a prior run‑in with federal law enforcement just one week earlier, sources told CNN and other outlets.
According to CNN, Pretti suffered a broken rib following an encounter with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers after a protest against federal immigration enforcement.
The incident reportedly began when Pretti stopped his vehicle after observing ICE agents pursuing what he believed was a family on foot, then began shouting and blowing a whistle.
A group of agents tackled him, and one applied pressure to his back, leaving him with the injury. Pretti was released at the scene, but sources say federal officers documented the encounter and continued monitoring him.
“That day, he thought he was going to die,” a source told reporters.
Documents obtained by CNN show agents were instructed to gather detailed information on protesters, including images, license plates, and identities, suggesting Pretti’s earlier actions put him on law enforcement’s radar.
On Saturday, Pretti was among roughly 50 demonstrators confronting Border Patrol agents as they were carrying out the arrest of a criminal illegal alien in Minneapolis.
Witness Blair told the New York Post that the group was relatively small but that gunshots rang out shortly after confrontations began.
“At about 8:30 I heard a bunch of gunshots, and we knew something bad had happened,” Blair said.
Federal authorities reported that Pretti was carrying a 9mm semi‑automatic handgun and resisted attempts by agents to disarm him, prompting a defensive response.
“The agents attempted to disarm the individual, but he violently resisted. Fearing for his life, and the lives and safety of fellow officers, a Border Patrol agent fired defensive shots,” Border Patrol head Greg Bovino said, according to The Post Millennial.
Medics provided aid immediately, but Pretti was pronounced dead at the scene.
Video reviewed by ABC7 and other outlets shows Pretti moving between an agent and a woman who was being sprayed with a substance before several agents restrained him.
An officer was seen retrieving a firearm from Pretti’s waistband before shots were fired, though restrictions on footage release have limited public access to the full body‑camera records.
Local officials and community members have disputed aspects of the federal narrative.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara noted that Pretti was a licensed handgun owner with no significant criminal history beyond minor infractions, and videos circulating online appear to show agents pinning him to the ground before the shooting.
Neighbors described Pretti as an active participant in local protests, and some eyewitness accounts suggest he was attempting to help others during the confrontation rather than initiate violence.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have both expressed concern about rushes to judgment by federal officials before full evidence is reviewed.
The case has intensified debate over the challenges federal agents face during immigration enforcement in Minneapolis and the broader implications for public safety and civil liberties.
Federal authorities continue reviewing body‑camera footage and other evidence to determine whether protocols were followed and if the use of force was necessary.
WATCH:
If you go looking for trouble, chances are – it’ll find you. Sorry but no sympathy for anyone attempting to fight a wave of ICE agents – you can’t fight City Hall and expect to ‘win.’ Just doesn’t happen. Illegals have NO right to live in this country of laws, but they DO have a right to obtain citizenship ain’t nobody stopping em – so, why don’t they?… hm…