ICU Nurse Alex Pretti Endured Broken Rib in ICE Altercation Week Before Deadly Shooting
New details have emerged surrounding the tragic death of Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old ICU nurse who was fatally shot by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis last weekend. According to a CNN investigation, Pretti suffered a broken rib during a violent confrontation with federal immigration officers just one week prior to his killing.
Violent Encounter with Federal Agents
The incident occurred when Pretti witnessed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents pursuing what he described as a family on foot in Minneapolis. The veteran nurse, who worked at a Veterans Affairs hospital, stopped his vehicle and began shouting while blowing a whistle to draw attention to the situation.
Sources familiar with the matter reported that five federal agents subsequently tackled Pretti to the ground. During the physical altercation, one officer leaned heavily on his back, resulting in a fractured rib. Despite the severity of his injury, Pretti was released at the scene without formal charges.
"That day, he thought he was going to die," one source revealed to CNN, highlighting the traumatic nature of the encounter. Medical records obtained by investigators show Pretti received treatment consistent with a broken rib following the incident.
Federal Monitoring of Protesters
The revelation comes amid growing concerns about federal surveillance of activists in Minneapolis. Since President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement initiative began in the city last month, officers have been instructed to gather comprehensive information about protesters.
A Department of Homeland Security memo obtained by CNN directed Minneapolis officers to "capture all images, license plates, identifications, and general information on hotels, agitators, protesters, etc., so we can capture it all in one consolidated form."
Federal agents were reportedly aware of Pretti's identity before his fatal shooting on Saturday, though it remains unclear whether the new intake form was specifically used to document his information.
Controversial Database Proposals
The situation has intensified debates about federal monitoring practices. Some Trump administration officials have publicly advocated for creating databases tracking protesters. Tom Homan, appointed as border czar, told Fox News earlier this month that he was actively "pushing for" such a system.
"We're going to create a database where those people that are arrested for interference, impeding and assault, we're going to make them famous," Homan declared. He was subsequently dispatched to Minneapolis by the president in an apparent effort to ease mounting tensions.
Separate incidents have further fueled concerns. A video from Maine circulating on social media last Friday showed a federal agent recording a woman's license plate while informing her: "We have a nice little database and now you are considered a domestic terrorist."
Official Denials and Family Silence
The Department of Homeland Security has firmly denied maintaining any database targeting protesters. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated to CNN: "There is NO database of 'domestic terrorists' run by DHS. We do of course monitor and investigate and refer all threats, assaults and obstruction of our officers to the appropriate law enforcement."
Regarding Pretti's earlier injury, a DHS spokesperson told The Independent that "DHS law enforcement has no record of this incident." Attempts by journalists to contact Pretti's family for comment on Tuesday were unsuccessful, with calls going unanswered.
The circumstances surrounding both Pretti's broken rib and subsequent fatal shooting continue to raise serious questions about federal law enforcement practices during immigration operations in American cities.
