MINNEAPOLIS: A federal agent’s fatal shooting of a 37-year-old Minneapolis man, Alex Pretti, has intensified tensions between Minnesota authorities and the Trump administration, triggering protests across several US cities and prompting a court order to preserve evidence.
Pretti, an ICU nurse and lawful gun owner, was shot dead on Saturday by a Border Patrol agent during a confrontation involving federal immigration officers on Nicollet Avenue, a busy multicultural area of the city known as Eat Street.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the agent acted in self-defense after Pretti allegedly violently resisted efforts to disarm him.
However, video footage reviewed by CNN appears to show that a federal officer had already removed a gun from Pretti’s waistband moments before shots were fired.
At least 10 gunshots were heard in the footage. Pretti is not seen wielding a weapon at any point in the videos.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz rejected the DHS account, calling it nonsense and lies, while Minneapolis officials accused federal agents of blocking state investigators from accessing the shooting scene.
On Saturday evening, US District Judge Eric Tostrud granted a temporary restraining order barring DHS and other federal agencies from destroying or altering evidence linked to the incident.
The order followed a lawsuit filed by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, which alleged that federal officials removed evidence from the scene and prevented state authorities from inspecting it.
A court hearing is scheduled for Monday in St. Paul.
Witnesses have disputed federal claims that Pretti posed a threat. In sworn court filings, one witness said Pretti approached officers with a phone, not a gun, and was attempting to help a woman who had been pepper-sprayed when he was taken to the ground by multiple agents.
A Minneapolis pediatrician who said they witnessed the shooting also accused federal agents of failing to check Pretti’s pulse or administer CPR after he was shot.
The doctor said Pretti had multiple gunshot wounds and showed no signs of life when they began emergency resuscitation.
The killing has sparked widespread protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, with demonstrations reported in Minneapolis, New York, Los Angeles and other cities.
Authorities in Minneapolis deployed tear gas and flash bangs to disperse crowds confronting federal agents, while several public events, sports games and cultural performances were cancelled over security concerns.
Political reactions have been sharply divided. President Donald Trump accused Minnesota leaders of inciting insurrection, while Vice President JD Vance described the unrest as engineered chaos.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem backed the agents involved, characterizing the incident as a violent riot.
In contrast, Democratic lawmakers, including Senator Amy Klobuchar and Representative Seth Moulton, condemned the shooting, with Moulton saying the incident raised questions of murder or execution.
Senate Democrats have threatened to block DHS funding unless the agency is excluded from an upcoming appropriations bill.
The National Rifle Association also criticized comments by a Trump-appointed federal prosecutor who appeared to justify the shooting, warning against pre-judging the case and demonizing lawful gun owners.
Pretti’s family described him as a hero who believed in non-violent protest and community service.
Neighbours said he was deeply involved in local activism and had been peacefully observing federal operations when he was killed.
The shooting marks the second fatal killing by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis this month, further escalating scrutiny of federal enforcement tactics and setting the stage for a major legal and political confrontation between state and federal authorities.
