The first official preliminary report on the death of Alex Pretti. What the US Department of Homeland Security document contains
Two officers fired their weapons during the fatal confrontation with Alex Pretti over the weekend in Minneapolis, according to a preliminary report submitted to Congress by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and seen by CNN.
The report from Customs and Border Protection's initial investigation into Pretti's shooting on Saturday shows that an agent yelled “He's got a gun” several times before two officers opened fire as they wrestled him on the ground, according to US television.
“Customs and Border Protection personnel attempted to detain Pretti. He resisted, and the situation degenerated into an altercation,” the cited document states. “During the fight, a Border Police agent shouted several times: 'He has a gun!'”
“Approximately five seconds later, a Border Patrol agent fired a CBP Glock 19, and a CBP officer fired a Glock 47 at Pretti,” the report added.
The document presented by the Department of Homeland Security does not explicitly state whether the bullets fired by both officers injured Pretti.
Question marks
After the incident, many questions arose about the possibility that Pretti's gun was used during the fight.
Footage captured by witnesses, from multiple angles, documented both the altercation and the moment the man was killed.
According to the report, however, the officers fired their stock weapons. A CNN review of available footage shows an agent appears to have pulled Pretti's gun from his waistband just moments before shots were fired.
The report, produced as part of the Customs and Border Protection's internal investigation, coordinated by the Office of Professional Responsibility, which investigates possible criminal acts committed by the officers, is the first official document to emerge from the ongoing series of investigations.
More investigations underway
Other investigations are being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is the lead investigative arm of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crimes and threats.
Also, the report cited by CNN states that “after the shooting, a Border Patrol agent said he was in possession of Pretti's gun.” The weapon was later unloaded and secured in an officer's vehicle.
“Customs and Border Protection personnel cut off Pretti's clothes and administered first aid, applying bandages to the wounds in the chest area,” the document also states.
Before the incident, a Border Patrol agent “was confronted by two civilian women whistling.” The officer “ordered them to leave the roadway, but they did not comply.”
Alex Pretti, taken to the hospital after more than 10 minutes
The officer “pushed them both away and one of the women ran toward a man later identified as Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, a US citizen.”
Officers attempted to detain Pretti, but “he resisted, resulting in an altercation,” according to preliminary findings.
More than 10 minutes after he was fatally shot, Alex Pretti was transported by Minneapolis Fire EMS to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead around 9:32 a.m.
Customs and Border Protection investigators have been informed that an autopsy will be performed by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office, and official findings will be requested after the autopsy is completed, the preliminary report states.
The killing of Alex Pretti sparked a wave of anger in Minneapolis, where thousands of people took to the streets under the slogan “Justice for Alex”, while the victim's family publicly denounced the “outrageous lies” of the Trump administration, accusing federal authorities of trying to cover up an unjustified execution.
Saturday's incident came less than three weeks after the killing of Renee Good, another American citizen shot by federal forces in the same city.
