Newly released video appears to show anti-ICE activist Alex Pretti spitting at federal agents and damaging a government vehicle days before he was fatally shot by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis.
The News Movement released the video on Wednesday, reportedly recorded on January 13.
The footage shows Pretti with a beard, glasses, a baseball cap, and clothing similar to what he was wearing when he was killed.
In the video, Pretti is seen shouting and spitting at federal agents before kicking the taillight of a federal SUV, causing it to break.
He repeatedly shouts “f— you” and flashes double middle fingers as agents exit the vehicle, approach him, and take him to the ground.
Agents then sprayed pepper balls and tear gas toward a nearby crowd of agitators as the confrontation continued.
Pretti was ultimately released.
After stepping away from the agents, what appears to be a gun is visible in Pretti’s waistband.
Rather than leaving the area, Pretti remained with other demonstrators who continued shouting obscenities at federal law enforcement officers.
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Pretti’s family confirmed to The Minnesota Star Tribune that the individual shown in the video is Alex Pretti.
“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,” Steve Schleicher, an attorney for the Pretti family, told Fox News.
“Nothing that happened a full week before could possibly have justified Alex’s killing at the hands of ICE on Jan. 24.”
Pretti, a 37-year-old Department of Veterans Affairs ICU nurse, was later shot and killed by Border Patrol agents while attempting to block federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis.
Video from the shooting appears to show Pretti engaging in a violent scuffle with agents.
Agents reportedly shot Pretti, who was armed, over fears he was going to open fire on them.
The footage then shows an agent removing what authorities described as a suspected firearm, a 9 mm pistol, from Pretti.
Officials said one Border Patrol agent fired a CBP-issued Glock 19, while another fired a CBP-issued Glock 47.
Before the shooting, agents were conducting enforcement operations as civilians shouted and blew whistles.
Authorities said the crowd was instructed to remain on the sidewalk to avoid interfering with law enforcement activity.
It was later revealed that Pretti resisted when agents attempted to take him into custody, leading to a physical struggle.
During that struggle, an unidentified Border Patrol agent can be heard repeatedly shouting that the man was armed, according to the report.
The shooting marked the second fatal incident in Minneapolis in recent weeks involving federal immigration agents, amid heightened tensions over enforcement operations and clashes with anti-ICE demonstrators.
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