Heater Cox Richardson discusses the killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis, providing a detailed account of the incident and its broader implications for American democracy. Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was shot and killed by what appear to be Customs and Border Patrol agents while he was helping a person who was pushed to the ground by an agent.
Here's a breakdown of the key points:
- The Incident (1:50-6:17): At around 9:00 AM local time, federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti. Video footage shows Pretti directing traffic near ICE agents (3:42-3:51). An agent pepper-sprayed Pretti (4:37-4:40) as he tried to help someone, and then multiple agents pulled him to the ground and hit him (4:49-4:56). Despite Pretti not appearing to fight back, one shot was fired, followed by nine more shots, which led to his death (5:46-6:09). The agents quickly dispersed afterward, making no effort to preserve the crime scene (6:18-6:29).
- Administration's Response and Lies (6:41-12:12): Immediately after the killing, administration officials claimed Pretti was engaged in "domestic terrorism" (6:53-6:57), was violent, and had attacked officers, emphasizing that he had a gun (7:02-7:10). However, Pretti was a registered gun owner with a legal permit, and he was not reaching for his weapon when he was shot (7:17-7:42). The speaker highlights that the administration is deliberately expanding definitions of terms like "terrorism" to criminalize opposition (8:59-9:13).
- Obstruction of Justice (9:33-10:30): Federal officials refused to allow local and statewide Minnesota law enforcement agencies, including the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, access to the crime scene, even after a judge issued a warrant. They also refused to release the names of the federal agents involved in the shooting. The Department of Homeland Security took over the investigation despite issuing a false statement about the incident (13:55-14:45).
- Local Law Enforcement's Stance (10:58-13:03): Minnesota police are siding with the people of Minneapolis and Minnesota, actively investigating the shooting, talking to witnesses, and collecting videos. A gun rights organization in Minnesota, typically aligned with the radical right, also expressed extreme concern about the shooting (13:10-13:33).
Authoritarianism and Call to Action (15:34-36:40): HCR emphasizes that the administration is now openly killing US citizens and lying about it, despite video evidence to the contrary (15:34-16:17). This is seen as a stark display of authoritarianism. The video concludes by urging elected Republicans to push back against the administration's actions, emphasizing that 16 Republicans could stop this by voting with Democrats (27:32-28:07). HCR calls for peaceful resistance to defend American democracy and constitutional rights (32:12-34:43), stating that the people are the last line of defense (34:41-35:00).
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Resources:
https://redwine.blue/
https://www.commoncause.org/take-action/
https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member