A video circulating on social media has been shared by some commenters suggesting that a man resembling Alex Pretti — the Minneapolis resident who was fatally shot by Border Patrol agents on January 24 — was seen in an earlier incident on January 13 interacting aggressively with federal agents, including spitting on or kicking a federal vehicle.
These posts have sparked strong reactions online, with some users claiming this footage shows Pretti acting violently toward law enforcement days before the encounter that ended in his death. Others point out the clips are not independently verified by major news outlets and that verification of the identity and context of that earlier video has not been confirmed. Importantly, major news organizations reporting on the January 24 shooting do not include verified evidence of Pretti spitting on or attacking agents on January 13.
What is well-documented is that on January 24, during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis, Alex Pretti — a 37-year-old registered nurse and U.S. citizen who legally carried a handgun — was involved in a confrontation with Border Patrol officers. Bystander video taken at the time shows agents pepper-spraying and wrestling with Pretti before he was fatally shot. Reviewers of the footage have noted that he appears to have a cellphone in his hand, not a weapon, in the moments before the deadly exchange.
Federal authorities have said that agents believed Pretti posed a threat and attempted to disarm him during the struggle. An agent later removed a firearm from his waistband seconds before shots were fired, but the videos available publicly do not clearly show Pretti drawing or firing a weapon at officers.
Investigations by multiple news organizations — and analysis of body-cam and bystander footage — are ongoing, and there is no publicly verified evidence linking any pre-January 24 incident to the actions leading up to the fatal shooting. FBI support and DHS reviews are underway to assess all available footage and testimony.
As with all high-profile officer-involved shootings, verification of footage and context is essential before attributing behavior to individuals.
