Doctor Who Fought to Treat Alex Pretti Says Border Patrol Moved His Body to Count Wounds Instead of Doing CPR

A doctor who tried to help Alex Pretti after he was fatally shot by federal officers in Minneapolis alleges that ICE agents at the scene appeared more focused on tallying the number of gunshot wounds than providing lifesaving care.

In a witness statement filed in federal district court, an unnamed 29-year-old licensed pediatrician who has lived in Minneapolis since 2024 said they were awakened by “cars honking and whistles blowing” around 9 a.m. local time on Saturday, Jan. 24. The physician said their view was “partially obstructed,” but they reported seeing ICE agents shoot Pretti — a 37-year-old ICU nurse — multiple times.

“The scene was chaotic. Many civilians were screaming and honking. Over the noise, I informed the ICE agents that I am a physician, and I asked to assess the victim,” the doctor said in the statement.

The physician alleged that agents initially blocked them from approaching and repeatedly demanded proof of medical credentials.

“None of the ICE agents who were near the victim were performing CPR, and I could tell that the victim was in critical condition,” the doctor wrote. “I insisted that the agents let me assess him. Normally, I would not have been so persistent, but as a physician, I felt a professional and moral obligation to help this man, especially since none of the agents were helping him.”

According to the filing, one agent eventually allowed the doctor to reach Pretti after patting them down to confirm they were unarmed.

“As I approached, I saw that the victim was lying on his side and was surrounded by several ICE agents. I was confused as to why the victim was on his side, because that is not standard practice when a victim has been shot,” the doctor stated.

The physician added: “Checking for a pulse and administering CPR is standard practice. Instead of doing either of those things, the ICE agents appeared to be counting his bullet wounds. I asked the ICE agents if the victim had a pulse, and they said they did not know.”

The doctor said they observed at least three gunshot wounds in Pretti’s back, then asked officers to turn him onto his back. At that point, the physician reported seeing an additional wound on his upper left chest and another possible wound on his neck.

“I checked for a pulse, but I did not feel one. I immediately began CPR. Shortly after I started compressions, EMS personnel arrived and took over,” the statement said.

The physician said they stayed at the scene for roughly five more minutes after starting CPR, then left because “the situation seemed to be escalating.”

After returning home, the doctor described being “extremely distraught,” saying they were “sobbing and shaking uncontrollably.” The statement says tear gas later seeped into their apartment, prompting them to leave, visit a friend nearby, and then drive about 30 minutes to their sister’s home.

The doctor said they were “devastated by the killing of a Minnesotan by multiple federal immigration agents.”

“From what I could tell, the victim was not actively threatening ICE agents or the public — he was just yelling at the agents because he objected to ICE’s presence in our city,” the physician added. “A person should not be shot and killed for lawfully expressing their opinions.”

The doctor also said they did not know when they would return home, adding: “I do not feel safe in my city.”

An ICE spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Pretti’s death followed another fatal shooting in Minneapolis earlier this month. Authorities say 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a mother of three, was shot and killed by an ICE agent identified as Jonathan Ross on the morning of Jan. 7. The filing states that Good had been driving a maroon Honda Pilot after dropping her 6-year-old son at school, and that she and her wife, Becca, took a detour as agents flooded the city and protesters gathered. She did not make it home.

After Pretti’s death on Jan. 24, the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement on X claiming that an individual “approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun” and “violently resisted” an attempt to disarm him, after which an agent “fired defensive shots.”

But footage verified by The New York Times appeared to conflict with that account. The video shows Pretti among a group of protesters with both hands visible, holding his phone in one hand as an agent used pepper spray. Several agents then move in, and Pretti does not appear to be holding or drawing a weapon as he is pinned on the sidewalk.