Startling new footage has emerged showing the dramatic confrontation between ICU nurse Alex Pretti and federal immigration agents just eleven days before his fatal shooting in Minneapolis. The video provides a disturbing new perspective on events leading up to the 37-year-old's death, revealing escalating tensions between protesters and federal officers.
Confrontation Captured on Camera
The newly released footage, confirmed by facial recognition software in a joint investigation between BBC and The News Movement, shows Pretti engaging in a heated exchange with ICE agents on January 13th. According to eyewitness accounts, the situation had remained relatively calm until Pretti approached a federal SUV and began shouting expletives at the officers inside.
In the video, Pretti can be heard yelling "f*** you!" at the agents before challenging them with the words: "What the f*** is wrong with you? Every decision you've made in your life is f***ing wrong!" The confrontation intensifies as Pretti refers to one agent as a "pepper spray b****" and "f***ing trash" while the officers prepare to leave the premises.
Escalation and Physical Altercation
The situation reaches a critical point when Pretti dares the agents with the words: "F***ing assault me, motherf***er!" Shortly after this challenge, a crashing noise is heard on the footage as Pretti kicks the tail light of the federal SUV, causing visible damage to the vehicle.
Multiple agents then converge on Pretti as shocked bystanders scream in the background. The video shows Pretti's hat coming off during the struggle, revealing a receding hairline that matches images from the fatal confrontation that would occur eleven days later. Officers eventually release Pretti after firing tear gas and pepper balls into the surrounding crowd.
Eyewitness Account from Minneapolis Attorney
The Daily Mail spoke with Max Shapiro, a Minneapolis tax attorney who filmed the original clip. Shapiro explained that he was part of a Signal chat group of parents who had been monitoring ICE activity near local daycares when he received notification that agents had appeared a block from his son's childcare facility.
"I ended up going to observe and as I got there, got there right at the moment where Mr Pretti was being confronted and assaulted by some ICE individuals," Shapiro recounted. He noted that approximately fifteen people were present during the incident.
Shapiro described the scene as having been "orderly and calm" for most of his observation period until the situation escalated when Pretti damaged the federal vehicle. "The observers were pretty distraught and screaming," he added, noting that officers' attempts to control the crowd were largely drowned out by whistles and shouts from protesters.
Broader Context of ICE Activity
The Minneapolis attorney highlighted that such confrontations were not isolated incidents in the area. "There has been so much ICE activity in Minneapolis that, most everyone probably has a video like that on their phone," Shapiro stated. "This is not an isolated incident. There are things that are happening every single day where people are recording and observing activity."
Despite not seeking out further confrontations, Shapiro emphasized the importance of continued documentation. "I think it's very important that people continue to do that. Because we need to document these types of instances and make sure that whatever the results comes from, this operation that, people understand what's happening," he explained.
Legal Representation and Official Response
Steve Schleicher, the former federal prosecutor who secured the conviction of Officer Derek Chauvin in the George Floyd case, is now representing Pretti's family pro bono. In response to the newly released footage, Schleicher stated: "A week before Alex was gunned down in the street - despite posing no threat to anyone - he was violently assaulted by a group of ICE agents."
He added firmly: "Nothing that happened a full week before could possibly have justified Alex's killing at the hands of ICE on Jan 24."
The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed they are investigating the footage, while the two Border Patrol agents involved in Pretti's fatal shooting have been placed on administrative leave. Sources within Homeland Security revealed to the Daily Mail that the unidentified agents were suspended as part of the investigation and will be assigned desk roles upon their return.
Political Fallout and Public Opinion
Pretti's death has sparked significant political controversy across the United States, coming just weeks after another fatal shooting involving an ICE agent in early January. Criticism from both sides of the political spectrum has increased pressure on the Trump administration regarding immigration enforcement practices.
Initial attempts to portray Pretti as a "domestic terrorist" due to his legally-owned firearm have been undermined by a new government report indicating no evidence that he "brandished" the weapon during the confrontation. Social media footage appeared to show a border patrol agent disarming Pretti moments before he was shot multiple times.
According to a Daily Mail/JL Partners poll conducted among over 1,000 American voters, 54 percent believe federal law enforcement murdered Pretti, with a margin of error of 3.1 percent. Notably, 22 percent of Republican respondents considered the killing to constitute murder, while just 21 percent of all respondents indicated the shooting was justified.
The case continues to develop as investigations proceed into both the January 13th confrontation and the fatal shooting eleven days later that claimed the life of the 37-year-old ICU nurse.
