The officers involved in the shooting of a 37-year-old U.S. citizen in Minneapolis on Saturday remain on the job, according to Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino.
At least one officer is seen on video shooting Alex Pretti during a chaotic altercation amid an immigration enforcement operation. Several other officers are seen striking and trying to restrain Pretti, who was documenting the federal agents’ actions before the encounter escalated.
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“All agents that were involved in that scene are working, not in Minneapolis but in other locations. That’s for their safety," Bovino said on Sunday. "There’s this thing called doxxing. The safety of our employees is very important to us, so we’re going to keep those employees safe.”
Bovino was pressed about the investigation and defended the federal government’s account of what happened, even as that narrative appears to be contradicted by videos posted online. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said Pretti “came with weapons and ammunition to stop a law enforcement operation.”
However, Bovino would not say whether Pretti actually brandished a weapon. Videos show officers disarming him before he was shot.
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"The investigation is going to cover all those facts, things like how many shots were fired, where were the weapons located," Bovino said. "All those facts are going to come out in the investigation."
Pretti’s family has said he had a license to carry a concealed weapon.
Local officials have sued the federal government and are calling for a full and transparent investigation. A judge has issued an early ruling prohibiting the federal government from destroying or altering evidence related to the shooting.
