Pretti Kicked Feds' Tail Light, Was Grabbed By Agent Days Before Death: Videos

MINNEAPOLIS — Newly surfaced videos appear to show Alex Pretti kicking out the tail light of a federal vehicle and being taken to the ground in an encounter with immigration authorities 11 days before he was shot and killed by federal law enforcement in Minneapolis.

Both videos of the Jan. 13 incident — one published by The Star Tribune and taken by witness Max Shapiro, the other released by The News Movement — are under three minutes and show Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, interacting with federal officials on a Minneapolis street corner.

In the video from The News Movement, Pretti is seen shouting at agents and kicking the tail light of a departing federal vehicle twice, removing the apparatus of the light with the second kick.

The Shapiro video picks up seconds later and shows Pretti displaying both middle fingers to the vehicle, which an agent exits, approaching Pretti, grabbing him and taking him to the ground. He is surrounded by multiple agents, but seconds later is able to get away, the video shows.

The News Movement reported agents fired tear gas and pepper balls, which is consistent with the video the outlet published. Also in that video, Pretti appears to have a gun protruding from his waistband.

As federal vehicles eventually depart, Pretti is seen standing at the street corner gesturing before confirming to an inquiring person that he is alright and turning back to other protesters at the scene and asking if they’re alright too, the Shapiro video shows.

U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the videos.

A spokesperson for the Pretti family and the family’s lawyer both confirmed to The Star Tribune that the man in the video published by the newspaper is Pretti, with attorney Steve Schleicher telling the Tribune in a statement that Pretti was “violently assaulted by a group of ICE agents” a week before he was killed.

The incident in the video occurred at East 36th Street and Park Avenue, according to the Tribune, which reported that Shapiro told the newspaper he had been responding to group chats reporting immigration enforcement near his son’s Spanish-immersion daycare when he made the recording.

Pretti had told family that his jacket, shirt and boots were damaged in a scuffle with federal officials and had complained about pain, the Tribune reported, citing a family spokesperson.

CNN has previously reported that Pretti broke a rib when he was attacked by federal officers while protesting about a week before he died, citing sources. The Department of Homeland Security told CNN it had no record of that incident. CNN also reported Pretti was known to federal authorities, citing a source.

Pretti died Saturday in an encounter with federal officials that escalated rapidly and ended with him being fatally shot immediately after his own firearm had been removed from his person while he was contained amid a scrum of agents on the ground.