In the age of the smartphone, the truth is no longer written solely by those in power; it is captured on video by those on the sidewalk. Today in Minneapolis, the Department of Homeland Security released a statement describing a "violent confrontation" with an armed suspect, but the digital record tells a vastly different story.
The morning began with a familiar tension. A group of protesters had gathered to protest the ICE arrests, some getting close to the perimeter. In a vacuum, the initial actions of the lead agent appeared standard; he used his arms to push back a few of the women who were instigating and crowding his space. Most observers would agree: an officer has the legal right to maintain a perimeter for safety.
However, the "lawful" quickly spiraled into the "unnecessary." The agent didn't just hold the line; he began to shove the women with increasing force, eventually pushing two of them completely over onto the frozen pavement.
This was the moment Alex Jeffrey Pretti stepped forward.
Alex didn't charge or become aggressive. With a cellphone in his right hand, filming the entire interaction, he raised his left hand in a calm, open gesture toward the officer, clearly signaling for him to stop the escalation. His other hand remained empty, visible, and non-threatening.
Full Altercation
The Incident: A Summary of the Footage
The Department of Homeland Security’s official statement claims:
"[Alex] approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun. The officers attempted to disarm the suspect but the armed suspect violently resisted."
However, the bystander videos that have flooded social media tell a story that feels entirely separate from the official narrative.
- No Aggression: In every verified video, Alex is seen holding nothing but a cellphone in his right hand, filming the agents. His left hand is often raised or empty.
- The Escalation: The footage shows an agent shoving an observer. Alex appears to move toward them, not with a weapon drawn, but in an attempt to pull someone back or shield them.
- The Takedown: In a harrowing sequence, Alex is sprayed with OC (pepper spray) at close range. As he reels, he is shoved to the pavement.
- The Beating: While on the ground, at least five agents surround him. Witnesses and video evidence show him being struck repeatedly as he appears to struggle only to protect his face.
- The Disarming: At no point did Alex reach for his weapon or offer physical pushback. While it was a standard tactical decision for an agent to disarm him after spotting the pistol in his waistband, Alex remained entirely passive throughout the process.
- The Shots: Despite being pinned to the concrete, and now disarmed, a volley of gunfire rings out. Reports indicate he was shot in the back 5-6 times.
There is a moment in one video that is particularly haunting: an agent emerges from the pile having removed Alex's firearm (Alex never once is shown reaching for it) from his waistband. Moments later another officer shoots Alex in the back five or six times.
An Opinion: The Cracks in the Narrative
This is where the facts meet a grim reality. For a country that prides itself on the Second Amendment, there is a deafening silence from those who usually champion the right to carry. Alex Pretti was doing everything "by the book" he had a legal permit, and he was exercising his right to exist in a public space while armed.
If the mere presence of a legal firearm, even one that remains holstered or is only discovered during a struggle, is a death sentence, then the Second Amendment doesn't actually exist for everyone. It becomes a conditional privilege that can be revoked by any agent with a badge and a twitchy trigger finger.
One can be 100% in favor of enforcing immigration laws and still be revolted by this. Law and order is not a one-way street; it must apply to the men in tactical vests as much as it applies to those they are pursuing. To deport legally is one thing; to beat and execute a ICU nurse in the street while he records on his phone is another. This isn't enforcement. It’s murder.
The men responsible must be held accountable. If we allow "self-defense" to be the catch-all excuse for killing unarmed citizens on camera, then no one is truly safe, regardless of their stance on the border.
