Home / Crime and Justice / Noem's Pretti Account Contradicted by Video Evidence
Noem's Pretti Account Contradicted by Video Evidence
25 Jan
Summary
- Videos show agents spraying irritant, restraining, and beating Pretti.
- Noem claimed Pretti attacked law enforcement with a weapon.
- Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.
Federal Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's account of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti on Saturday is being directly contradicted by video footage and eyewitness statements. Noem alleged during a press conference that Pretti, a 37-year-old Minnesota resident, attacked law enforcement officers during a targeted operation. She claimed Pretti approached them with a weapon and dozens of rounds of ammunition, necessitating a defensive response from the agents.
However, multiple videos circulating show a different sequence of events. These recordings appear to depict a federal agent spraying chemical irritant into Pretti's face before forcefully taking him to the ground. Subsequent footage shows at least six masked individuals restraining and beating Pretti, an ICU nurse employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, prior to the fatal shooting.
Adding further contradiction, while the Justice Department asserts Pretti was carrying a 9 mm handgun, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara has confirmed that Pretti was a lawful gun owner who possessed a permit to carry. The unfolding evidence suggests a significant discrepancy between official statements and observed events.
