Minneapolis – Federal officials swiftly blamed ICU nurse Alex Pretti following his fatal shooting, alleging he planned a “massacre” of police officers. Videos, however, depict Pretti filming and providing aid to a woman moments before he was shot in the back, raising serious questions about the official narrative.
A Pattern of Victim Blaming
The accusations against Pretti mirror a troubling pattern emerging from the Trump administration’s response to unrest in Minneapolis.
- Since federal agents began operating in Minneapolis, a consistent strategy has emerged: controversial use of force followed by unsubstantiated accusations against the victims.
- Renee Good, killed by an ICE agent earlier this month, was similarly labeled a “domestic terrorist” by Kristi Noem within hours of her death, without supporting evidence.
- Representative Chip Roy defended ICE’s actions, shifting blame and invoking unrelated cases of violence against law enforcement.
- Roy’s rhetoric suggests a justification for ICE’s violence based on perceived threats, rather than the specific circumstances of each incident.
- Calls for an independent investigation into Pretti’s killing are gaining momentum, but some officials continue to deflect blame.
This approach echoes the aftermath of the killing of Renee Good earlier this month. Just hours after she was gunned down by an ICE agent, Kristi Noem labeled her a domestic terrorist, again without presenting any evidence.
Shortly after Good’s death, Representative Chip Roy, a conservative and staunch supporter of former President Trump, was interviewed on the steps of the U.S. Capitol regarding ICE’s actions. The interview revealed insights into the rationale behind the administration’s victim-blaming strategy and its implications for the continued presence of ICE in American cities.
When asked if Good’s killing was justified, Roy initially placed blame on the victim. “I think she put herself in a bad position by interfering with law enforcement and by hitting the gas in a car with a law enforcement officer right in front of her. That’s what I think,” Roy responded.
As the conversation progressed, Roy’s defense of ICE shifted. “Do we talk about the ICE officer who was dragged down the street in a car? Do we talk about the ICE officer who had a steel thermos beat against his head and lacerations across his face when he was executing an arrest against a really bad guy?” he asked. “How come? Where’s the headlines on that? Where’s the stories on CNN, or MSNBC, or Fox, or anywhere?”
Roy’s argument is revealing. It suggests that ICE’s use of force is justified not by the specific actions of Good or Pretti, but by unrelated incidents of alleged violence against ICE officers.
Shifting the Focus to Unrelated Crimes
Roy further broadened the discussion, invoking the names of other victims in an attempt to justify ICE’s actions. Responding to Democrats who have called for the impeachment of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, he cited the deaths of Jocelyn Nungaray, Laken Riley, Rachel Morin, and Kayla Hamilton. “I can keep going down the list of all the Americans who are not here because our streets were made dangerous by the previous regime,” he stated.
These individuals were victims of tragic crimes, but Roy’s invocation of their names raises a disturbing question: does preventing such violence justify the killing of American citizens? His argument implies a tit-for-tat mentality, framing ICE’s actions as government-sponsored vengeance and disregarding constitutional safeguards.
If this mindset prevails, there may be no legal or ethical constraints on ICE’s actions, leaving U.S. citizens vulnerable to unchecked power.
There has been some resistance to Roy’s hardline stance. Recently, Senators Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska have called for an independent investigation into Pretti’s killing.
However, Roy continues to deflect blame. His Twitter/X account featured an interview with Fox News shortly after the shooting, where he again attributed responsibility for Pretti’s death to Democrats. “As a former federal prosecutor, I’m trained to wait for the facts to come in,” Roy stated. “I’m talking about what led to them, and it is very clearly the Democrats in Minneapolis and Minnesota Democrats across the country, they’re inflaming tensions that led to the situation where these agitators put themselves between ICE carrying out their job.”
Roy appears determined to absolve the agents who fired their weapons, embracing a boundless and extra-constitutional thirst for retribution. That’s what ICE and their supporters are counting on.
