The Department of Homeland Security has laid out its version of events surrounding a chaotic confrontation in Minnesota that ended with federal agents fatally shooting 37-year-old Alex Pretti.
In a letter to Congress, DHS provided a timeline of the incident. At about 9 a.m. Saturday, officials say a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer was confronted by two women who were blowing whistles. The officer ordered them to move out of the roadway, but officials say the women refused.
"The CBPO pushed them both away and one of the females ran to a male, later identified as 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a US citizen," the letter states. "The CBPO attempted to move the woman and Pretti out of the roadway. The woman and Pretti did not move. The CBPO deployed his oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray towards both Pretti and the woman."
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Officials say officers then attempted to take Pretti into custody, at which point they allege he resisted.
"During the struggle, a BPA yelled, “He’s got a gun!” multiple times," the letter says. "Approximately five seconds later, a BPA discharged his CBP-issued Glock 19 and a CBPO also discharged his CBP-issued Glock 47 at Pretti."
The letter does not state that Pretti brandished a weapon. His family has said he was a concealed-carry license holder, and video from the scene appears to show an officer disarming Pretti before he was shot.
According to the letter, officers “cut Pretti’s clothing and provided medical aid to him by placing chest seals on his wounds.”
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However, a doctor who lived nearby and witnessed much of the confrontation provided a sworn declaration that raises questions about whether life-saving efforts were being conducted. He noted that officers did not immediately perform CPR on Pretti.
After negotiating with one of the officers, the doctor said he was eventually allowed to assist Pretti but described what he viewed as unusual actions.
"I was confused as to why the victim was on his side, because that is not standard practice when a victim has been shot," the doctor states. "Checking for a pulse and administering CPR is standard practice. Instead of doing either of those things, the ICE agents appeared to be counting his bullet wounds."
The doctor said he performed CPR on Pretti until emergency personnel arrived at about 9:05 a.m., according to the letter to Congress.
DHS officials said Pretti was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 9:32 a.m.
Federal officials said an autopsy will be conducted by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office.
