US immigration agents shot and killed a US citizen in Minneapolis on Saturday, officials said, sparking fierce protests and condemnation from local leaders - the second such incident this month, Reuters reports.
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) characterized the incident as an assault, stating that the Border Patrol agent fired in self-defense after a man approached him with a gun and violently resisted attempts to disarm him.
However, footage from the scene taken by eyewitnesses, verified and reviewed by Reuters, shows the man, identified as 37-year-old Alex Pretti, was holding a phone, not a gun, in his hand as he tried to help other protesters who were being tackled to the ground by agents, according to Reuters.
At the beginning of the footage, Preti is seen filming as a federal agent pushes one woman away and throws another to the ground. Preti stands between the agent and the women, then raises his left arm to protect himself as the agent pepper sprays him.
Several agents then grab Preti – who is resisting – and bring him to his hands and knees. As the agents pin Preti down, someone can be heard shouting what sounds like a warning about the presence of a weapon. The video then appears to show one of the agents taking the gun from Preti and walking away from the group with it.
Moments later, a police officer with a gun pointed at Preeti's back is seen firing four shots in rapid succession. Several more shots are then heard, as another agent appears to shoot at Preeti.
The agents initially all back away from Preti's body on the roadway. Then, some of them appear to provide medical assistance to Preti as he lies on the ground, while other agents keep passersby away.
The killing of Preti, who was an intensive care unit nurse, brought hundreds of protesters to the neighborhood to confront armed and masked officers who used tear gas and stun grenades. Demonstrations also broke out in New York, Washington, and San Francisco, among other cities.
The incident further strained relations between state and federal authorities, which are already at odds with the administration of US President Donald Trump over the shooting that killed another US citizen, Renee Goode, on January 7.
Federal authorities refused to allow local authorities to participate in the investigation of the incident.
Police say the man was the legal owner of the gun
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told reporters that the man killed Saturday attacked agents during an immigration raid, although she did not specify whether he drew a weapon. Federal officials released a photo of the gun they say Preti was carrying at the time of the shooting.
"He wasn't there to peacefully protest. He was there to perpetrate violence," Noem said at a press conference.
Local leaders, including Minnesota Governor Tim Volk, have questioned that version of events.
"I've seen footage from multiple angles and it's sickening. The federal government can't be trusted to lead this investigation – the state will take over," Volc said.
Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Investigation Director Drew Evans told reporters that federal agents blocked his team's attempts to begin an investigation on Saturday.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said the man killed was a legal gun owner and had no criminal record, other than traffic violations.
As people protested the shooting, city police and state troopers arrived to control the crowd. The situation appeared to calm down late Saturday after federal agents left the area, although protesters remained on the streets for hours.
Local officials appealed for restraint.
"Please don't destroy our city," O'Hara said.
The nearby Minneapolis Institute of Arts announced it was closed for the day due to safety concerns, and the National Basketball Association (NBA) postponed a Minnesota Timberwolves game.
The mayor and governor demand an end to the operation.
Walz and other local and state officials have called for an immediate end to local immigration enforcement operations run by the Trump administration.
"How many more residents, how many more Americans need to be killed or seriously injured for this operation to end?" Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said at a news conference.
Trump accused local elected officials of fomenting opposition.
"The mayor and governor are fomenting rebellion with their haughty, dangerous and arrogant rhetoric," the Republican president wrote on social media.
US Vice President JD Vance, who visited the city on Thursday, accused local leaders of refusing to provide local police support for immigration agents. That drew a sharp response from Volk, who said the immigration crackdown had strained local police resources.
The shooting came a day after more than 10.000 people took to the icy streets to protest the action.
Before Saturday's shooting, residents were already outraged by multiple incidents, including the killing of Goode, the detention of a U.S. citizen who was taken from his home in shorts, and the detention of school children, including a five-year-old boy.
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