New witness testimony suggests that Border Patrol agents did not attempt to perform lifesaving measures after shooting Alex Jeffrey Pretti.
Instead, officers appeared to be “counting his bullet wounds,” the 29-year-old pediatrician shared in court filings. The physician’s statement was submitted as part of an ongoing civil rights complaint filed Saturday by the ACLU against the Department of Homeland Security, its secretary Kristi Noem, ICE acting director Todd Lyons, and more.
The sworn declaration was taken hours after Border Patrol agents shot Pretti, 37, in Minneapolis. The physician, whose name is redacted in the filings, heard an altercation outside of their apartment. The witness said that Pretti was yelling at the agents, but did not attack them or brandish a weapon at them.
“Suddenly, an ICE agent shoved him to the ground,” the witness said. “My view of the altercation was partially obstructed, but after a few seconds, I saw at least four ICE agents point guns at the man. I then saw the agents shoot the man at least six or seven times.”
The physician ran over to provide medical assistance, but said that federal agents would not initially let them through to treat Pretti. The doctor said that none of the officers were performing CPR and that Pretti was on his side which they said is “not standard practice” for a shooting victim.
“Checking for a pulse and administering CPR is standard practice,” the testimony read. “Instead of doing either of those things, the ICE agents appeared to be counting his bullet wounds.”
When asked if Pretti had a pulse, the physician said agents did not know because they had not checked. The witness said they saw “at least three” bullet wounds in Pretti’s back, one in his upper chest, and “another possible gunshot wound” in his neck. The physician did not feel a pulse but performed CPR until medics arrived.
After the shooting, the witness said “the situation seemed to be escalating” so they returned to their apartment. The physician expressed that they did not feel safe but had to flee their home after ICE agents deployed tear gas on the crowd outside, which had seeped into the building.
The person concluded their statement by saying Pretti was not “actively threatening” agents. Instead, he seemed to be killed for “lawfully expressing” his objection to ICE, the physician said.
“I do not feel safe in my city,” the statement read. “In less than one month, ICE agents have shot and killed two people for protesting and observing their actions. I worry that I or someone I love will be shot and killed for voicing their displeasure and being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
DHS and Border Patrol officials have insisted that Pretti “wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.” They have repeatedly shared images of a gun they claimed belonged to Pretti, but otherwise have not shared evidence. During a press conference on Saturday, Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino said that the investigation was “evolving.”
Bovino did not answer questions about whether Pretti had brandished a gun toward federal agents. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said that Pretti was a lawful gun owner.
