Border Patrol Commander Details Fate Of Agents Involved in Minneapolis Shooting Of Alex Pretti

Large protests have taken place in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in recent weeks following violent altercations between civilians and federal immigration officers. In one episode over the weekend, 37-year-old local ICU nurse Alex Pretti was fatally shot by a Customs and Border Protection agent, marking the second such incident in the city after the killing of Rene Nicole Good earlier this month.

Gregory Bovino, the commander-at-large of Border Patrol, said the CBP agents involved in the incident will likely be assigned to administrative duties despite the outrage sparked by Pretti's death.

Bovino told CNN in an interview that the Border Patrol agents involved are "more than likely" going to be placed on administrative duty and will remain Border Patrol agents. He added that they will be taken off the streets of Minneapolis but will continue participating in operations in other cities where CBP, as well as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, are deployed.

"The suspect put himself in that situation," Bovino said on CNN's "State of the Union" on Jan. 25.

According to government officials, Department of Homeland Security officers were conducting a targeted operation against an undocumented immigrant minutes before the fatal shooting. Videos circulating on social media show Pretti filming civilians' encounters with federal agents.

In the videos, an agent can be seen shoving a woman to the ground before Pretti tries to intervene. Officers then wrestle Pretti to the ground and appear to remove a gun from his waist. Moments later, shots can be heard while Pretti is lying on the ground.

As reported by Axios, DHS claimed without presenting evidence that Pretti was at the scene to "massacre law enforcement" and said he was "brandishing" his firearm at agents.

During the interview, Bovino said Pretti was "actively impeding" and "assaulting" law enforcement and praised the agents' response, adding that Pretti had inserted himself into "an active law enforcement scene."

"So, good job for our law enforcement in taking him down before he was able to do that," Bovino said.

As reported by the Minnesota Star Tribune, federal authorities have yet to offer evidence showing when they became aware that Pretti was armed, how agents determined his intentions or why lethal force escalated after he was already restrained. No body camera footage has been released as of Jan. 26.

Under Minnesota law, the outlet noted that carrying a firearm in public is legal with a permit, and law enforcement investigations say Pretti was a lawful gun owner with no serious criminal history beyond a handful of traffic violations.