Two immigration agents involved in the fatal shooting of a protester in Minneapolis have been placed on leave, US officials say, as President Donald Trump battles backlash over the incident.
Intensive care nurse Alex Pretti, 37, was shot multiple times Saturday after being forced to the ground by camouflaged Border Patrol agents in a scuffle that was captured on video.
His death, which followed the fatal shooting of another female protester by an immigration officer earlier in January, sparked national outrage among both parties.
A spokesperson for the US Customs and Border Protection Agency confirmed on Wednesday, local time, that two of the officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave.
“This is standard protocol,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
It comes as an initial review of the fatal shooting made no mention of Pretti brandishing a firearm, despite initial statements from Trump officials highlighting the weapon.
In the hours after Pretti was killed, top Trump administration officials portrayed the nurse as an aggressor, claims that were quickly contradicted by video footage from the scene.
U.S. Homeland Security wrote on
Stephen Miller – a powerful figure leading Trump’s hardline immigration policies – called Pretti a “domestic terrorist” and a “so-called murderer” without providing evidence to support the claims.
The White House later said Miller was referring to “general guidelines” for immigration agents operating in Minnesota, and not the specific incident involving Pretti.
Trump has called for an “honorable and fair investigation” into Pretti’s death and suggested he would “kind of de-escalate” the government’s immigration policies in the northern Minnesota city.
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