Newly surfaced videos reveal that Alex Pretti, a Minneapolis ICU nurse, was involved in a physical altercation with federal immigration agents 11 days before he was fatally shot by Border Patrol officers, sparking renewed controversy over his death.
On January 29, 2026, multiple videos emerged depicting an incident on January 13 in Minneapolis where Alex Pretti confronted federal agents during protests against immigration enforcement operations. The footage, published by outlets like The News Movement and the Minnesota Star Tribune, shows Pretti shouting expletives, spitting on an unmarked federal vehicle, and kicking out its taillight before agents in tactical gear tackled him to the ground.
During the scuffle, Pretti’s winter coat was pulled off, revealing what appeared to be a handgun in his waistband, though he never reached for it. Witnesses, including attorney Max Shapiro who recorded one video, described the agents’ use of force as excessive, with Pretti being ‘slammed to the ground pretty hard.’ After breaking free, Pretti assured others he was okay, highlighting the chaotic scene amid tear gas and pepper balls deployed by officers.
The confrontation occurred just four blocks from where another individual, Renee Good, had been killed by ICE officers the previous week, intensifying community anger. Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center with a permit to carry a concealed weapon, sustained injuries but did not seek medical care, according to family representatives.
Steve Schleicher, an attorney for Pretti’s family, emphasized that the earlier altercation in no way justified Pretti’s killing on January 24, when Border Patrol officers shot him while he was on the ground holding a phone, not a gun. The family condemned Trump administration claims that Pretti was ‘brandishing’ a gun as ‘sickening lies,’ and called for transparency.
The release of these videos has reignited national debate over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and the use of force by federal agents. Right-wing commentators, including Donald Trump Jr., seized on the footage to vilify Pretti, while advocates and lawmakers pointed to it as evidence of systemic issues within ICE and Border Patrol.
In response, the Department of Homeland Security stated it is reviewing the new footage, though it remains unclear if any officers involved in the January 13 incident were also present during the shooting. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey dismissed the relevance of the earlier confrontation to the killing, focusing instead on the circumstances of the shooting itself.
As investigations continue, the case underscores ongoing tensions over immigration policy and law enforcement accountability, with vigils held for Pretti and calls for legislative reforms to ‘rein in ICE’ gaining traction among Senate Democrats.
