State investigators face an “unprecedented” lack of cooperation from federal authorities regarding the protest shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
The family of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse shot dead by federal agents, is urging the FBI to cooperate with Minnesota law enforcement. The plea comes after the state’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) disclosed that federal authorities have completely stonewalled their requests for evidence related to the January 24 killing in Minneapolis.
Pretti was fatally wounded during a protest against federal immigration raids. Following the BCA’s revelation that the FBI is withholding vital case files, Superintendent Drew Evans publicly condemned the federal agency’s actions as “concerning and unprecedented.”
A Call for Transparency
The BCA has formally invited federal officials to conduct a joint investigation to ensure transparency. Pretti’s family strongly supported this approach in a public statement.
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.
While the US Department of Justice launched its own civil rights investigation in January, the lack of information-sharing threatens to hinder local efforts. The BCA is concurrently investigating two other high-profile incidents linked to the recent federal crackdown: the January 7 fatal shooting of Renee Good by ICE agents, and a January 14 car chase that left a Venezuelan national injured. State officials admit they remain unsure if the FBI will share data on these cases either.
The Toll of “Operation Metro Surge”
The shootings occurred during “Operation Metro Surge,” an intense immigration enforcement campaign mandated by US President Donald Trump. The operation triggered massive protests across Minneapolis opposing the aggressive tactics utilized by ICE and Border Patrol units.
White House border tsar Tom Homan declared a “drawdown” of the operation last week, stating the surge resulted in the arrest of over 4,000 undocumented immigrants. In stark contrast, Minnesota’s Democratic Governor Tim Walz characterized the federal deployment as a disaster that caused “generational trauma” and left the community demanding answers.
SOURCES: BCA Superintendent Office, CBS News, Department of Justice, Minnesota State Government.
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