Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino has refuted some of the narratives circulating about the shooting of Alex Pretti, claiming that the agents involved were actually the victims.
The death of Alex Pretti, an American civilian, after a shooting incident has sparked anger across the United States.
Footage has emerged showing moments before and after the 37-year-old nurse, Alex Pretti, was shot during a protest in Minneapolis.
Numerous videos on social media depict Pretti trying to assist a woman who had been pushed into the snow by an agent.
Subsequently, Pretti is seen being pepper-sprayed and tackled by several agents, before being shot multiple times and declared dead at the scene.
Reports suggest that Pretti was legally carrying a firearm, but it is claimed he was disarmed by agents prior to being shot.
This incident has led to widespread calls for an investigation and criticism of ICE amidst the prevailing tensions in the country.
In an interview with CNN’s Dana Brash, Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino defended the actions of the agents involved.
As reported by Axios, Bovino stated: “The suspect put himself in that situation.
“The victims are the Border Patrol agents there.”
When Brash showed him a video and questioned why Pretti was shot after allegedly being disarmed, Bovino did not provide a definitive response.
He responded: “Dana you don’t know that he was unarmed, I don’t know that he was unarmed, that is freeze frame adjudication of a crime scene via a photo.
“That is why we have investigators, that is why we have investigation that is going to answer these questions.”
He further stated: “We don’t know that agent was taking his gun away, the facts are going to come to light, that is why we investigate.”
On social media, Bovino faced criticism from those who felt he was not providing clear answers despite the availability of multiple video angles.
While former President Donald Trump did not explicitly state whether he believed the shooting was justified, he addressed the incident over the weekend.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump commented: “We’re looking, we’re reviewing everything and will come out with a determination.”
He added: “I don’t like any shooting. I don’t like it.
But I don’t like it when somebody goes into a protest and he’s got a very powerful, fully loaded gun with two magazines loaded up with bullets also. That doesn’t play good either.”