A federal officer reportedly mocked protesters in Minneapolis on Saturday, Jan. 24, after a fatal shooting involving federal agents sparked an angry standoff near the scene.
According to the Associated Press, demonstrators gathered around federal officers following the death of a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident. The man was later identified by his parents as ICU nurse Alex Pretti.
The AP reported that people in the crowd shouted profanities at officers, called them “cowards,” and demanded they leave. As one officer walked away, he reportedly responded with a taunting “boo hoo.”
Several protesters were detained, with some reportedly pushed into vehicles by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The AP also reported that demonstrators dragged garbage dumpsters into the street to obstruct officers’ movements while chanting, “ICE out now.”
Federal officers used batons and deployed flash bangs, according to the AP.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said details surrounding the moments leading up to the shooting were still unclear.
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“Based on the information we have, this is a 37-year-old white male who is a Minneapolis resident, and we believe he is an American citizen,” O’Hara said at a press conference, per The Hill. “We have not been told any official reports of what has led up to the shooting.”
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement after the incident that “DHS law enforcement officers were conducting a targeted operation in Minneapolis” at around 9:00 a.m. local time Saturday. She said the operation involved an undocumented immigrant who was allegedly wanted for assault.
McLaughlin claimed the man—whose identity has not been made public—“approached” U.S. Border Patrol officers while armed with a handgun and “violently resisted” as officers tried to disarm him, and said an agent fired “defensive shots.”
O’Hara said the man received first aid and was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Mayor Jacob Frey, 44, condemned the shooting at a Saturday press conference, noting it came just weeks after Renee Good was killed in Minneapolis by an ICE agent.
“How many more residents, how many more Americans, need to die or get badly hurt for this operation to end?” Frey said, per the Guardian. “How many more lives need to be lost before this administration realizes that a political and partisan narrative is not as important as American values?”
Frey then directly appealed to President Donald Trump, urging him to “put America first” and remove federal law enforcement officers from Minneapolis.
“How many times must local and national leaders plead with you, Donald Trump, to end this operation and recognize that this is not creating safety in our city,” Frey said. “We have seen these kinds of operations in other places, in other countries, but not here in America, not in a way where a great American city is being invaded by its own federal government.”
“I’m done being told that our community members are responsible for the vitriol in our streets,” he continued. “I’m done being told that our local elected officials are solely responsible for turning down the temperature.”
Frey also pointed to a large demonstration the day before, describing it as peaceful.
“Just yesterday, we saw 15,000 people peacefully protesting in the streets, speaking out, standing up for their neighbors. Not a single broken window, not a single injury,” he said. “So, to everyone listening, stand with Minneapolis. Stand up for America. Recognize that your children will ask you what side you were on.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz also responded on X, saying he spoke with White House officials and pressed for federal agents to be removed from the city.
“The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now,” Walz, 61, wrote.
