“He fired 10 shots in 5 seconds”: Witness video of citizen’s killing contradicts U.S. government account

[Financial News] In Minnesota, a man in his 30s was shot and killed by a federal immigration enforcement officer, and the Trump administration is insisting the shooting was a justified response to a gun threat. That stance is now facing growing pushback.
On the 25th (local time), major U.S. outlets including The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), National Broadcasting Company (NBC), and National Public Radio (NPR) released videos filmed by witnesses of the shooting of Alexander "Alex" Jeffrey Pretty. They reported that Pretty did not draw his firearm and that he was killed by a volley of at least 10 shots immediately after being subdued.

According to the reports, Pretty was filming a protest with his phone around 9 a.m. on the 24th in the Whittier, Minneapolis neighborhood. At the time, he was holding his phone in his right hand, and his left hand was empty.
During the protest, a United States Border Patrol (USBP) officer shoved a citizen to the ground. Pretty then moved between the officer and the fallen person, appearing to try to shield the citizen. In response, the USBP officer pulled out what appeared to be a pepper spray canister, sprayed Pretty, and forced him to the ground.
As the scuffle escalated, six USBP personnel joined in to restrain Pretty. During this process, one officer spotted a gun at Pretty’s waist and shouted, "Gun." Another officer then drew his own weapon and aimed it at Pretty, who was lying face down. Moments later, one officer wrested Pretty’s gun away, and another opened fire, while the witness filming the scene screamed and backed away.
The shooting began about 13 seconds after Pretty was forced to his knees and just one second after his gun was taken away. According to NBC and WSJ, 10 to 11 rounds were fired in under 5 seconds.
Minneapolis fire officials said they received a 9:04 a.m. report of a "shooting possibly involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)." First responders attempted CPR, but Pretty was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Trump administration argues that Pretty first threatened law enforcement while armed. United States Border Patrol (USBP) Chief Gregory Bovino stated at a press conference, "Pretty approached the agents with a handgun and intended to massacre law enforcement officers."
Kristi Noem, head of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees USBP, likewise said, "Pretty approached Border Patrol agents with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, and when agents tried to disarm him, he violently resisted." Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff at the White House, also asserted, "Pretty attempted to assassinate federal law enforcement officers."
NBC, however, countered, "The video recorded by witnesses contradicts the administration’s claims. In the footage, Pretty is not holding a weapon before the confrontation; instead, he appears to be moving to help the person pushed by the federal officer." The outlet also stressed, "Secretary Noem refused to say whether Pretty ever drew his own gun before he was shot."
Donald Trump, who had initially defended USBP and referred to Pretty as a "gunman" immediately after the incident, has since struck a more ambiguous tone. WSJ reported that when asked in a phone interview whether the federal agent’s use of force was justified, Trump did not give a direct answer. Instead, he replied, "We are looking into it, we are reviewing everything, and we will reach a conclusion."

On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote, "Democratic Party–run states that refuse to cooperate with ICE and encourage left-wing agitators to obstruct the arrest of the worst criminals are putting foreign criminals ahead of tax-paying, law-abiding citizens," adding, "Because of the chaos created by the Democratic Party, two American citizens have lost their lives." He thus placed the blame squarely on the Democrats.
As the number of victims grows, protests across the United States are intensifying. According to The New York Times (NYT), about 1,000 demonstrators gathered at Government Plaza in downtown Minneapolis despite temperatures of minus 20 degrees Celsius, condemning federal authorities and mourning Pretty’s death. In particular, as Trump administration officials continue to label those killed by federal agents this month as "criminal suspects" and insist they were to blame, protesters are raising their voices in criticism of the Trump administration.
bng@fnnews.com Kim Hee-sun Reporter