A video reportedly recorded on Jan. 13 shows Alex Pretti spitting at federal agents and shattering the taillight of a government SUV. Eleven days later, on Jan. 24, a U.S. Border Patrol agent shot and killed Pretti while he was recording agents, prompting questions about the official account that he approached with a 9 mm handgun. Family lawyers and bystander video have challenged aspects of the government's version, and a former federal prosecutor said protests and chaotic conditions in Minneapolis may have affected how officers handled the earlier incident. CBP placed the agents on administrative leave and the White House said it is reviewing the case.
Former Prosecutor: Video Shows Alex Pretti Spitting At Agents Days Before Fatal Border Patrol Shooting
A man, who appears to be Alex Pretti, was caught on camera nearly two weeks before he was fatally shot in Minnesota.(Fox News)
A newly released video reportedly recorded on Jan. 13 shows Alex Pretti spitting at federal agents and kicking out the taillight of a government SUV days before he was fatally shot by a U.S. Border Patrol agent on Jan. 24.
The footage, released by The News Movement, appears to show Pretti shouting obscenities and making obscene gestures at agents before an interaction that ended with officers forcing him to the ground. Steve Schleicher, an attorney for the Pretti family, told Fox News his client was involved in that earlier confrontation.
A man, who appears to be Alex Pretti, was caught on camera in Minnesota before he was fatally shot.
What the Authorities Say
Federal officials have said a Border Patrol agent shot Pretti while he was recording immigration officers on a Minneapolis street and that officers initially reported Pretti approached them with a 9 mm handgun and resisted efforts to disarm him. Eyewitness accounts and bystander video of the Jan. 24 encounter have raised questions about the official account, prompting a review.
Earlier Altercation
The Jan. 13 clip shows Pretti spitting at agents and breaking the taillight of a federal SUV. According to the family’s lawyer, the earlier incident was aggressive and left Pretti injured. The timing — 11 days before the shooting — has been highlighted by the family and commentators as part of the broader narrative surrounding the later confrontation.
A screengrab from a video shows a law enforcement officer spraying irritants at Alex Pretti before he was fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 24, 2026.
"A week before Alex was gunned down in the street — despite posing no threat to anyone — he was violently assaulted by a group of ICE agents," Schleicher said. "Nothing that happened a full week before could possibly have justified Alex’s killing at the hands of ICE on Jan. 24."
Context And Reactions
Fred Tecce, a former federal prosecutor, told Fox News Digital that under ordinary circumstances someone seen spitting on officers and damaging government property would likely face arrest. Tecce said, however, that the charged protest environment in Minneapolis and confrontations between demonstrators and immigration agents complicated how officers responded in the moment.
"If you kicked out a taillight and spat on the police officers, what do you think would happen to you? You'd be arrested," Tecce said. "The circumstances surrounding what's going on in Minneapolis call all bets off — I mean, all the rules have gone out the window."
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has confirmed agents involved in the Jan. 24 shooting were placed on administrative leave pending the agency's review. Pretti, an ICU nurse at a Veterans Affairs hospital, was killed during the confrontation.
Following the shooting, President Donald Trump told The Wall Street Journal the administration was "reviewing everything" related to the incident and would reach a determination after a review.
Ongoing Questions
The sequence of events — the Jan. 13 altercation captured on video, the displays of hostility in public spaces, and the Jan. 24 shooting — has intensified scrutiny of immigration enforcement tactics in Minneapolis and the interactions between agents and protesters. Investigations and public statements continue as officials, family members, and independent observers await fuller accounts and any official findings.
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