Trump aide admits possible protocol breach in Minneapolis killing

Washington: US immigration authorities are investigating whether federal agents breached operational protocols before the fatal shooting of a nurse during protests in Minneapolis, as a government report confirmed that two officers fired their weapons in the incident that has sparked nationwide outrage.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he wanted an “honourable and honest investigation” into the killing of 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti, and suggested his administration would seek to de-escalate its immigration crackdown in the city following days of protests.

Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Stephen Miller, acknowledged that US immigration agents may not have followed established guidance during the operation that led to Pretti’s death on Saturday.

“We are evaluating why the CBP team may not have been following that protocol,” Miller told AFP, referring to guidance that additional personnel be deployed to create a physical barrier between deportation agents and protesters.

The White House later clarified that Miller was referring to “general guidance” for immigration operations in Minnesota, rather than the specific incident itself, adding that officials were examining why additional force protection assets may not have been present.

Report to Congress

A Department of Homeland Security report to Congress, published Tuesday by US media, said two federal officers fired their weapons during the confrontation. According to the report, a US Border Patrol agent repeatedly shouted “He’s got a gun” as agents struggled with Pretti on an icy Minneapolis street, moments before two officers opened fire.

“Approximately five seconds later, a Border Patrol agent discharged his CBP-issued Glock 19 and a Customs and Border Protection officer also discharged his CBP-issued Glock 47 at Pretti,” the report said.

The document did not specify how many shots were fired or whether bullets from both officers struck Pretti. It also made no claim that Pretti brandished a weapon — contradicting initial statements by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who said the victim had approached agents with a gun.

Video footage recorded by witnesses showed Pretti holding his phone and filming agents before he was sprayed with a chemical irritant and taken to the ground. The footage showed an agent removing a firearm from Pretti’s waist before shots were fired.

Early reports

Miller acknowledged that his own comments shortly after the killing — in which he falsely described Pretti as a “would-be assassin” — were based on early reports from the Department of Homeland Security that later proved inaccurate.

“The initial statement from DHS was based on reports from CBP on the ground,” Miller said.

The report said a Border Patrol agent stated after the shooting that he had secured Pretti’s firearm and placed it in his vehicle. DHS’s Homeland Security Investigations unit is leading the probe into the incident.

The killing has drawn bipartisan condemnation in Congress. Republican Senator Rand Paul called Tuesday for the agents involved to be placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

The shooting has intensified scrutiny of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics, as protests continue in Minneapolis and calls grow for greater accountability in federal law enforcement operations.