United States federal immigration agents have killed another individual in Minneapolis during an immigration enforcement drive, prompting widespread protests and criticism. The victim has been identified as Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old US citizen who worked as a nurse.
In a press statement, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said that the man was shot at mutliple times by the heavily armed federal agents and succumbed to his injuries after being taken to hospital.
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“Our demand today is for those federal agencies that are operating in our city to do so with the same discipline, humanity and integrity that effective law enforcement in this country demands,” O’Hara said.
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Minnesota Governor Tim Walz strongly criticised the incident, describing the federal operations as a “campaign of organised brutality.”
“This long ago stopped being a matter of immigration enforcement,” the Minnesota Governor said during a news conference in Saint Paul.
“It’s a campaign of organised brutality against the people of our state. And today that campaign claimed another life,” Walz added.
A video of shooting has also appeared online, showing heavily-armed agents surrounding the 37-year old nurse in the middle of a road. In another clip, the agents are seen restraining the victim on the ground moments before gunshots are heard.
The shooting occurred amid President Donald Trump-led administration’s move to deploy armed US immigration enforcement and other federal agents to Minneapolis in an anti-immigration drive.
In response to shooting, the Department of Homeland Security defended the US Border Patrol agent, who shot and killed “a person who had a handgun and resisted attempts to be disarmed.”
However, according to O’Hara the victim was a “a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry”.
The incident follows the fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Renee Nicole Good earlier this month, who was killed in her vehicle by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer (ICE).
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