Former Vice President Mike Pence on Monday called video footage of the shooting of Alex Pretti in Minnesota “deeply troubling” as he urged a full investigation into the deadly incident.
“In the wake of the tragic shooting that claimed the life of Alex Pretti this weekend, our prayers are with his family, the citizens of Minneapolis and local, state and federal law enforcement officers serving there,” Pence said in a post on X. “The images of this incident are deeply troubling and a full and transparent investigation of this officer involved shooting must take place immediately.”
Pretti, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident, was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents on Saturday. The incident, which occurred about 2 miles from where Renee Good was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on Jan. 7, has ignited a heated debate between the Trump administration and Minnesota officials amid intense scrutiny of the tactics of the president’s immigration crackdown.
Protesters have flooded the streets of Minnesota in the aftermath of Pretti’s killing.
State leaders have alleged federal officials have blocked them from being involved in an investigation into the shooting. Administration officials have accused Minnesota authorities of refusing to collaborate with immigration authorities on deportations.
But Pence on Monday called for law enforcement at all levels to work together on investigating the latest shooting.
“The focus now should be to bring together law enforcement at every level to address the concerns in the community even while ensuring that dangerous illegal aliens are apprehended and no longer a threat to families in Minneapolis,” Pence said.
The former vice president is the latest high-profile Republican to express concerns over the events unfolding in Minnesota. Like Pence, some of the party’s top voices have called for a full investigation into the shooting.
Others have disputed the administration’s justification that Pretti’s carrying of a gun was legal justification for his killing, which Pence echoed on Monday.
“The American people deserve to have safe streets, our laws enforced and our constitutional rights of Freedom of Speech, peaceable assembly and the right to keep and bear Arms respected and preserved all at the same time,” said Pence. “That’s how Law and Order and Freedom work together in America.”
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