Pretti family demands DOJ transparency over son's death

Oct 29 · Michael and Susan Pretti accuse federal officials of misleading them Updated 21:42

Alex Pretti, a VA intensive care nurse with no criminal record according to court records, was killed during protests in Minneapolis. ABC News reviewed eyewitness videos showing Pretti was on the ground and unarmed when approximately 10 shots were fired, and that an officer removed Pretti's firearm while he was on the ground before the shots were fired. Bystander video shows Pretti holding only a phone. Former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem alleged Pretti committed domestic terrorism; she later admitted the claim was made without all the information but refused to retract it before her removal from office. Michael and Susan Pretti allege the Trump administration portrayed their son as a domestic terrorist, and the family claims they first learned of his death through the media rather than the government. Michael and Susan Pretti accused federal officials of misleading them, specifically citing U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen for failing to provide updates on the investigation for nine months. No charges have been filed nine months after the incident. Federal prosecutors disclosed in court filings that they stopped sharing evidence with Minnesota authorities investigating the killings of Pretti and Renee Good. Minnesota authorities are suing the administration for access to materials to conduct an independent investigation.

New evidence shifts the central question from a dispute over procedural delays to a potential cover-up of an extrajudicial killing. ABC News provided a critical breakthrough by reviewing eyewitness videos showing Pretti was unarmed and on the ground when he was shot, and that an officer had already removed his firearm. This contradicts the Trump administration's earlier portrayal of Pretti as an armed domestic terrorist.

While the first analysis questioned if the DOJ was following standard protocols, HuffPost reveals that federal prosecutors explicitly disclosed in court filings that they stopped sharing evidence with Minnesota authorities. This concrete action transforms the federal-state jurisdictional conflict into a legal battle over the deliberate obstruction of an independent investigation.

Coverage has moved beyond the family's emotional plea to focus on the disparity between official government narratives and physical evidence. Both ABC News and HuffPost highlight the contrast between Pretti's professional background as a nurse with no criminal record and the accusations made by former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.