Minnesota leaders are vowing to hold federal officials accountable for thefatal shootingon Jan. 24 by a Border Patrol agent of a 37-year-old ICU nurse, whose death has sparked fresh protests in a state already rocked by the killing ofRenee Nicole Good.
Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen and registered nurse who treated veterans, was shot and killed by a federal agent after confronting immigration authorities. Federal officials said Pretti was carrying a gun he intended to use to "kill law enforcement."Videos from bystanders− anda witness account in court filings− do not show Pretty brandishing a weapon when he approached agents.
The fatal shooting comes just weeks after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed Good, 37. . Pretti's death and the heavily disputed way it happened has deepened the already tremendous tensions between state and federal officials.
Gov. Tim Walzand other Minnesotans are promising that the state "will have the last word" on the fatal shooting that they see as the result of the Trump administration's controversial deployment of agents in military style tactical gear.
"I have a strong statement here for our federal government," the former candidate for vice president said at a news conference hours after the shooting. "Minnesota's justice system will have the last word on this. It must have the last word."
Minnesota officials respond, deploy National Guard members
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced late on Saturday that he filed a lawsuit against federal officials "to prevent the destruction of evidence" related to Pretti's shooting. Ellison's lawsuit comes after federal authorities barred state officials from evidence related to Good's killing.
Minnesota National Guard memberson Saturday deployed at the governor's request to secure the site of the shooting and the Whipple Federal Building, a known immigration authority staging area that's become a hotspot for protesters, according to the statement.
Another person has been fatally shot by federal law enforcement in Minneapolis, officials said on Jan. 24. The shooting comes just over two weeks after 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was shot in the head by a federal immigration officer in a residential neighborhood south of downtown. See the scene of a shooting." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Man fatally shot by federal officers in Minneapolis. Photos show the scene
Another personhas been fatally shot by federal law enforcementin Minneapolis, officials said on Jan. 24. The shooting comes just over two weeksafter 37-year-old Renee Nicole Goodwas shot in the head by a federal immigration officer in a residential neighborhood south of downtown. See the scene of a shooting.
Pam Bondi hits back at Tim Walz
U.S. Attorney GeneralPam Bondihit Walz with a set of demands following the shooting that she said will restore "law and order" in the state.
Among them, she demanded Minnesota officials turn over voter registration records and support immigration agents' operations.
Who is Alex Pretti?
Alex J. Pretti, 37, a U.S. citizen and registered nurse who worked at a U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs medical center in Minneapolis, wasidentified as the man fatally shotby a federal officer on Saturday, amid an immigration enforcement action.
Colleagues and family described 37-year-old Minneapolis resident as a compassionate,skilled nursewho was "troubled" by the Trump administration's immigration enforcement crackdown on the Twin Cities.
Shortly after the shooting, federal officials labeled him a "domestic terrorist" who arrived at the scene of an immigration enforcement action with a gun to "inflictmaximum damageand kill law enforcement."
He had a permit for his firearm and multiple videos from bystanders showed him approaching officers with his phone.
Shooting witness details ICE killing in court filings
In a federal court filing on Saturday, a witness of the shooting wrote that Pretti "did not brandish a weapon of any kind" and that afterwards "agents appeared to be counting his bullet wounds."
The sworn declaration to the court comes in connection to a class action lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, charging the agency with using intimidation tactics reminiscent of "pre-World War II Germany or Pinochet's Chile" to chill free speech protected under the First Amendment.
According to the court filing, the witness, whose name was redacted, is a physician who lives near where the shooting occurred. The witness woke up on Saturday to the sound of "screaming from outside" and saw Pretti "yelling at ICE agents."
"I saw him yelling at the ICE agents, but I did not see him attack the agents or brandish a weapon of any kind," the witness wrote. "Suddenly, an ICE agent shoved him to the ground. My view of the altercation was partially obstructed, but after a few second, I saw at least four ICE agents point guns at the man. I then saw the agents shoot the man at least six or seven times."
Afterwards, the witness went to treat Pretti's wounds. The witness said agents were not administering first aid.
"I was confused as to why the victim was on his side, because that is not standard practice," the pediatrician wrote. "Checking for a pulse and administering CPR is standard practice. Instead of doing either of those things, the IE agents appeared to be counting his bullet wounds."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:MN officials vow to hold feds accountable after Alex Pretti killing
