Minneapolis shooting: video appears to show victim disarmed before being shot dead | BBC News

Video showing the killing after a second US citizen in Minneapolis by ICE federal agents appears to suggest that a gun had been taken from him before he was shot dead.

Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, was killed after what began as a scuffle. Pretti appeared to be filming the immigration enforcement agents using his phone when he was pushed to the ground and restrained by seven officers. One of them appears to remove a handgun from Pretti’s waist, before another officer opens fire. In total it appears that 10 shots were fired as he lay on the ground. After the shooting local police said they believed that Pretti had a licence authorising him to carry a handgun.

Federal and state officials offered conflicting accounts about the shooting. The Trump administration claimed the ICE agents had fired “defensive” shots and described Pretti as a “domestic terrorist”. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said he was there "to perpetuate violence" and had approached federal agents with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun.

Local officials and the victim’s family have challenged that account, pointing out that Pretti had a phone in his hand, not a weapon. None of the videos of the shooting appear to show Pretti holding a gun at any time before his death. His parents accused the administration of spreading "sickening lies" about what happened.

Hundreds of demonstrators braved freezing weather to take to the streets over the shooting.

Clive Myrie presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Tom Bateman in Minneapolis.

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