8:58:29 a.m. — One agent pushes Pretti toward the sidewalk.
8:59:08 a.m. — A bystander begins filming. Pretti is again shown raising his phone as officers escort a detainee toward a vehicle.
9:00:12 a.m. — Pretti, still filming, remains near officers speaking with two unidentified civilians, one wearing an orange backpack.
9:00:41 a.m. — An agent yells at one civilian not to push anyone into traffic, then shoves that person toward Pretti. The phone in Pretti’s hand is still pointed at the agents.
9:00:50 a.m. — The same agent deploys pepper spray at Pretti. Pretti lifts his free hand between the spray and the civilian with the backpack, then is immediately sprayed again.
9:00:56 a.m. — After the second burst, the agent grabs Pretti by the hood and pulls him into the street.
9:01:02 a.m. — Three officers pin Pretti to the pavement while at least two others encircle the group.
9:01:05 a.m. — A bystander’s audio captures shouting that officers are striking Pretti. Video shows at least five agents restraining him.
9:01:11 a.m. — An officer appears to punch Pretti several times.
9:01:12 a.m. — Another officer draws a handgun.
9:01:13 a.m. — Footage indicates an officer in a gray jacket retrieves a firearm from Pretti’s waistband. The officer had entered the scrum moments earlier without a visible weapon.
9:01:14 a.m. — The gray-jacketed officer steps back holding the gun. The first shot is fired almost simultaneously.
Imagem: Internet
9:01:16 a.m. — Three additional shots follow within a second. Pretti’s body goes limp.
9:01:19 a.m. — Six more rounds are discharged. A total of 10 shots are fired in under five seconds, according to an audio analysis by Montana State University professor Robert Maher.
9:01:45 a.m. — An agent approaches Pretti’s motionless body. A sworn affidavit later submitted by a physician who treated Pretti on site lists at least three bullet wounds to the back, another to the upper chest and a possible neck wound.
9:02:28 a.m. — The gray-jacketed officer announces, “I’ve got the gun,” while walking toward colleagues who remain surrounding Pretti.
Federal narrative and video discrepancies
During a news conference the same day, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti arrived “to inflict maximum damage” and to kill law-enforcement personnel. CBP officials asserted that Pretti advanced on officers wielding a semi-automatic pistol. The verified videos, however, show Pretti holding a mobile phone throughout the initial interaction, with the firearm only becoming visible after officers had forced him to the ground.
John Cohen, a former acting DHS undersecretary for intelligence who reviewed the footage, said the material does not show Pretti approaching agents in a threatening manner. Cohen observed that the officers appeared to lack a coordinated plan to restrain Pretti once the confrontation began.
Aftermath and continuing inquiry
Pretti was pronounced dead at the scene. Minnesota authorities have not released the names of the agents involved, and no charges have been filed. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is leading the state investigation. Federal officials have indicated that an internal CBP review is also underway, consistent with policy governing officer-involved shootings.
Civil-rights advocates and Pretti’s family members have called for the release of all body-worn camera footage and incident reports. Minneapolis officials have stated that locally mounted surveillance cameras did not capture clear images of the shooting.
DHS policy permits officers to use deadly force when they reasonably believe an individual poses an imminent threat of death or serious injury. The department’s most recent use-of-force guidelines, publicly available on its official website, require that “all less-lethal options be considered when feasible.” Whether those procedures were followed on Nicollet Avenue remains under review.
Pretti, a U.S. Navy veteran and licensed practical nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, had no known criminal record. According to coworkers, he was scheduled to begin a weekend shift later that morning.
Authorities have not provided a timeline for concluding the parallel state and federal investigations. Under Minnesota law, findings by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension will be forwarded to the county attorney’s office to determine whether prosecution is warranted.
Crédito da imagem: AP
