Federal Authorities Launch Civil Rights Investigation Into The Death Of Alex Pretti
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Friday that the Department of Justice has opened a formal federal civil rights investigation into the death of Alex Pretti, a Minneapolis resident and ICU nurse fatally shot by Border Patrol agents last Saturday. The inquiry marks a significant shift in oversight, transferring leadership of the probe from the Department of Homeland Security to the Federal Bureau of Investigation following days of intensifying public scrutiny and jurisdictional disputes.
Blanche stated that investigators are authorized to examine “everything that would shed light on what happened that day,” a mandate that includes reviewing bystander video footage, ballistics evidence, and witness testimony to determine if the agents involved willfully violated federal civil rights laws. This development comes amid sharp disagreements regarding the circumstances of the shooting. While initial statements from senior administration officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, characterized Pretti as a “domestic terrorist” who attempted to assassinate law enforcement, widely circulated video evidence appears to contradict these claims, showing Pretti being tackled by multiple agents and shot approximately ten times in the back while reportedly filming the officers.
The launch of an independent Justice Department inquiry addresses persistent objections from Minnesota state officials and legal experts who argued that the initial arrangement—in which DHS components were tasked with investigating their own personnel—lacked impartiality. Earlier this week, a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order requested by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison to prevent federal agents from destroying or altering evidence, following allegations that state investigators were blocked from accessing the crime scene. The case has since become a flashpoint for broader debates concerning federal law enforcement conduct and transparency during ongoing immigration enforcement operations in the region.
bringmethenews.com
local10.com
ms.now
apnews.com
inquirer.com
dallasnews.com
dallasnews.com
dallasnews.com
pbs.org
theguardian.com
