Video Emerges of Alex Pretti Spitting on ICE Agents, Then Kicking the Taillights Off Their SUV

Minneapolis, MN – January 28, 2026 - Newly surfaced video footage has revealed an earlier confrontation involving Alex Jeffrey Pretti, the 37-year-old intensive care nurse fatally shot by federal agents during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis on January 24, 2026.

The video, which appears to have been recorded on January 13, 2026-11 days before Pretti's death-shows a man identified by multiple sources as Pretti engaging in aggressive behavior toward U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel. In the clip, Pretti is seen shouting profanities at agents standing near their SUVs, spitting at one agent as the officer enters a vehicle, and then kicking the rear of one of the SUVs twice, shattering the taillight.

The incident occurred amid ongoing protests in the Powderhorn neighborhood of South Minneapolis against federal immigration raids under the Trump administration's expanded enforcement efforts. Witnesses and video evidence indicate that after Pretti damaged the vehicle, agents exited and physically restrained him, pushing him to the ground before eventually driving away. Sources familiar with the matter told reporters that Pretti sustained a broken rib during the takedown.

The footage has intensified debates surrounding Pretti's death, which occurred when Border Patrol and CBP agents opened fire during a separate encounter. Pretti, a VA hospital ICU nurse and licensed gun owner, was shot multiple times after being pepper-sprayed, tackled, and disarmed while intervening in an altercation involving a woman being pushed to the ground by agents. Preliminary Department of Homeland Security reports confirm that two agents discharged their weapons but make no mention of Pretti brandishing his firearm, contradicting initial administration claims that he posed an immediate lethal threat.

The emergence of the earlier video has fueled criticism from supporters of stricter immigration enforcement, who argue it demonstrates a pattern of hostility toward federal officers. "This wasn't some peaceful bystander," one law enforcement advocate posted on social media. "He had a history of instigating confrontations."Pretti's family, colleagues, and advocates maintain that he was a dedicated caregiver who acted to protect others during the chaotic enforcement actions. Nurses from the Minneapolis VA and national unions have held vigils and protests, calling Pretti's killing unjustified and demanding accountability from ICE and the Department of Homeland Security. Two agents involved in the fatal shooting have been placed on administrative leave pending investigations by DHS, the FBI, and state authorities.

The video's release comes as public outrage continues over the incident-the second fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis this month, following the January 7 death of Renee Good. Protests in the Twin Cities have persisted despite subzero temperatures, with calls for congressional oversight and reform of immigration enforcement tactics.

Federal officials have described the broader operations as necessary to address illegal immigration, while critics accuse the administration of excessive force. The Department of Justice is reviewing the shooting, and body camera footage is under examination.Pretti's death has united unlikely voices across the political spectrum in demanding transparency, though the newly emerged video has sharpened divisions over the circumstances leading to his fatal encounter with agents.