Federal Investigation Launched into Minneapolis Shooting of U.S. Citizen
People attend a candlelight vigil this week organized by health care workers at the site where Alex Pretti was killed in Minneapolis.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
Scott Olson/Getty Images
In a significant move, the U.S. Department of Justice is conducting a civil rights investigation into one of two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis. The focus is on the death of Alex Pretti, who was killed by Border Patrol officers.
The Civil Rights Division is spearheading the investigation into the Jan. 24 shooting of Pretti. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasized that this probe is separate from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s own investigation into the incident.
Authorities report that Pretti was fatally shot multiple times while he was recording immigration officers on his phone. The DOJ’s investigation aims to scrutinize not only the shooting itself but also the circumstances leading up to the event.
Blanche stated, “It means talking to witnesses. It means looking at documentary evidence, sending subpoenas if you have to.” He noted that the Civil Rights Division boasts some of the world’s leading experts for this type of investigation.
While the DOJ is focusing on the Pretti case, it has decided not to pursue a similar investigation into another shooting earlier this month involving Renee Macklin Good. Blanche remarked, “There are thousands, unfortunately, of law enforcement events every year where somebody is shot. The Civil Rights Division does not investigate every one of those shootings.”
Despite the federal investigations, state authorities have been excluded from participating in the review of both incidents, prompting a state lawsuit demanding preservation of evidence related to Pretti’s case. State officials have not ruled out the possibility of pressing charges against the federal agents involved.
This article was originally written by www.npr.org
