Alex Pretti shooting: Federal officers who fired shots identified in records: report
ProPublica reporter on identifying agents in Pretti shooting
ProPublica investigative reporter David McSwane, who worked on the story identifying the two Customs and Border Protection agents who fired shots in the incident that killed Alex Pretti, joined FOX 9 All Day to discuss the reporting.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Two federal agents who fired shots in the shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last weekend have been identified in government records, according to a ProPublica report.
Federal officers identified
What we know:
Citing government records viewed by the journalism nonprofit, ProPublica identified Border Patrol Agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection Officer Raymundo Gutierrez as the federal officers who fired shots during Pretti's deadly shooting.
Last week, Customs and Border Protection informed Congressional leaders that two agents had fired shots during the confrontation at the intersection of 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue on Saturday, Jan. 24.
Big picture view:
On Friday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed the Department of Justice had opened a civil rights investigation into the shooting.
Homeland Security Investigations is leading the review of the shooting with backing from the FBI. According to reports, as part of the investigation, DHS was probing whether a federal agent accidentally discharged Pretti's weapon, potentially setting the fatal events in motion.
According to the New York Post report, an agent may have misfired the gun after disarming Pretti and this unintentional shot allegedly led other officers to believe they were being fired upon, prompting them to open fire in response.
Local perspective:
At the same time, Minnesota authorities have fought to maintain a local review of the shooting. Last week, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said she anticipates having enough evidence to make a charging decision in Pretti's shooting.
Pretti's shooting ignited another wave of protests across the Twin Cities in opposition to the ICE surge. In the aftermath of the shooting, President Trump told local leaders who would scale back the federal surge. During a news conference on Thursday, Border Czar Tom Homan, who was brought into the Twin Cities to take over federal operations after Pretti's shooting, said the ICE drawdown was dependent on local cooperation with immigration enforcement efforts.
Why publish the agents' names?
What they're saying:
In a statement to FOX 9 in response, the Department of Homeland Security said:
"DHS will never confirm or deny attempts to dox our law enforcement officers. Doxxing our officers put their lives and their families in serious danger. Our law enforcement officers are on the frontlines arresting terrorists, gang members, murderers, pedophiles, and rapists. Now, thanks to the malicious rhetoric of sanctuary politicians, they are under constant threat from violent agitators. They are facing a 1,300% increase in assaults against them, a 3,200% increase in vehicular attacks against them, and an 8,000% increase in death threats against them. Publicizing their identities puts their lives and the lives of their families at serious risk. This matter remains under investigation."
In context:
In the article, ProPublica editors justified publishing the names of the officers, writing:
"ProPublica is publishing the names of the two federal immigration agents involved in the fatal shooting of Minnesota protester Alex Pretti. We believe there are few investigations that deserve more sunlight and public scrutiny than this one, in which two masked agents fired 10 shots at Pretti as he lay on the ground after being pepper-sprayed.
"The Department of Justice said it is investigating the incident, but the names of the two agents have been withheld from Congress and from state and local law enforcement.
"The policy of shielding officers’ identities, particularly after a public shooting, is a stark departure from standard law enforcement protocols, according to lawmakers, state attorneys general and former federal officials. Such secrecy, in our view, deprives the public of the most fundamental tool for accountability."