Friday, January 30, 2026

Pretti narratives

Let me say up front that I do not believe there was justification for Customs & Border Patrol officers to shoot and kill Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last Saturday. Of all the footage I've witnessed (specifically meticulous breakdowns on social media), it would appear this was a tragic mistake. The reason I cling to this belief is because after Pretti was shot dead, there was at least one officer asking "where's the gun?" The gun was actually removed by one of the CBP officers who likely declared "gun!", thus triggering the others to believe Pretti was brandishing a weapon. Again, just a tragedy all around, albeit a seemingly avoidable one. But it definitely was not murder. 


Then this week there were videos circulating showing Pretti confronting Feds on the streets of Minneapolis, just a week-and-a-half before he was shot. 





And of course, as these videos were released, the official partisan reactions were as predicted. Issac Schorr of Media-ite broke it down. 


For those on the Right determined to justify the events of Jan. 24, when Pretti was shot dead by Border Patrol agents during an altercation in which he appeared much less confrontational — and criminally liable — the footage was beheld as an answer to their prayers.

And for those on the Left who fetishize the disorderly, destructive behavior exemplified by Pretti, it was something to be handwaved away: an irrelevant, even disgusting, smear of a dead man.

Of course it is neither.

Pretti’s inexcusable actions on the 13th — though they could and arguably should have resulted in his arrest — didn’t come anywhere close to warranting the use of lethal force. To cite them as a justification for his death a week-and-a-half later at what appeared to be a much less charged moment (bear in mind that an investigation into the shooting may turn up more relevant information) is an intellectual as well as a moral error. American citizens are entitled to make mistakes, even egregious ones, without paying the price for them with their life. Anyone who disputes as much has breathtakingly low expectations for their government.


I believe it's relevant to share this footage only to combat the fluffed up narratives by the left. In the aftermath of the shooting, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz essentially said Pretti was "shot in the face on the streets coming out of a donut shop" as if he was merely a bystander minding his own business. 


You also have prog media outlets apparently believing Pretti's appearance wouldn't generate the preferred amount of sympathy, but that's nothing that a little airbrushing can't fix. 





And lastly you have Fauxcahontas Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) spinning a yarn about someone who, had she not mentioned him by name, you would think won a treasure trove of humanitarian awards. 





This seems especially disingenuous in light of the video footage from more than two weeks ago.  





To reiterate: Pretti's behavior, as disruptive as it was, is absolutely not a justification for what happened to him on January 24. But the narratives put forth by elected leftists and their supporters are deliberate attempts to further demonize Federal agents who are already engaging in high stakes and very tense operations. Again, the actions by some agents in Minnesota has been inexcusable and for that there must be firings (DHS head Kristi Noem is a good place to start). But now that there's been a recalibration of operations in the state, let's ensure more deadly encounters do not reoccur. And it starts with allowing state and local law enforcement the ability to assist Feds in ensuring provocateurs like Pretti and Renee Good do not cross the line which clearly divides protesting and obstructing justice. 


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