A video filmed by a bystander shows a confrontation between Alex Pretti and federal agents on 13 January. The event happened 11 days before the ICU nurse at the local military veterans’ hospital was fatally shot by federal officers in Minneapolis.
Officers appeared to grab Pretti and bring him to the ground during intense community protests against the federal crackdown in Minneapolis. About two minutes of an exclusive video, published on Wednesday by yhe News Movement, a digital news outlet, shows Pretti yelling at agents in an unmarked vehicle and kicking the tail light of the car as they move away.
Soon after, a heavily armed agent in tactical gear is seen exiting the car. It is unclear what preceded the events caught on camera. A family representative confirmed to the Guardian that it was Pretti in the footage published on Wednesday. A representative also said they had been aware of the incident and that Pretti sustained injuries, but did not get medical care.
Steve Schleicher, an attorney representing Pretti’s family, said in a statement: ‘A week before Alex was gunned down in the street – despite posing no threat to anyone – he was violently assaulted by a group of ICE agents. Nothing that happened a full week before could possibly have justified Alex’s killing.’