Minnesota’s top investigative agency says the FBI has formally declined to provide evidence or information in the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, a decision state leaders are calling highly unusual.
Pretti, an intensive care nurse, was shot and killed by federal agents on Jan. 24 in south Minneapolis while observing their activity. Video recorded by bystanders appears to show him filming agents with his phone before a confrontation escalated. During a struggle, gunfire erupted. The Department of Homeland Security has claimed Pretti approached agents with a weapon and “violently resisted,” an account his family has denounced as “sickening lies.”
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension announced that it was notified the FBI would not grant access to materials related to Pretti’s death. Superintendent Drew Evans described the lack of cooperation as “concerning and unprecedented.” Evans said: While this lack of cooperation is concerning and unprecedented, the BCA is committed to thorough, independent and transparent investigations of these incidents, even if hampered by a lack of access to key information and evidence. Our agency has committed to the FBI and Department of Justice that should its stance change we remain willing to share information that we have obtained with that agency and would welcome a joint investigation. We will continue to pursue all legal avenues to gain access to relevant information and evidence.”
The FBI has also declined to share evidence in the fatal shooting of Renee Good and in the case involving a Venezuelan national, Julio Sosa-Celis. State officials say they have repeatedly requested cooperation in all three investigations without success.
In the immediate aftermath of Pretti’s death, federal agents reportedly prevented BCA investigators from collecting evidence at the scene. The BCA briefly secured a restraining order to block the Department of Homeland Security from altering or destroying materials, but a federal judge lifted that order days later.
Hennepin County Attorney’s Office confirmed it plans to send a formal written demand for evidence in the Pretti case to the U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security. County Attorney Mary Moriarty said the refusal to cooperate signals deeper concerns. “We appreciate the BCA’s efforts in pursuing a joint investigation with the federal government, as is the norm,” Moriarty said. “The federal government’s refusal to cooperate is unsurprising but provides a clear indication that they are not confident in their agents’ actions or their immediate response.”
Pretti’s family has also urged federal and state authorities to conduct a joint inquiry. “Justice and accountability requires a thorough and impartial investigation to establish the facts. A truly joint state and federal investigation would be a welcome development,” they said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Democratic members of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform have accused the Trump administration of attempting to conceal wrongdoing in the deaths of Good and Pretti.
Editorial credit: Matt Gush / Shutterstock.com