Shocking new video has emerged showing ICU nurse Alex Pretti taunting federal agents just 11 days before he was fatally shot by Department of Homeland Security officers in Minneapolis.
The footage, released this week, captures the 37-year-old shouting profanities at ICE agents, daring them to use pepper spray and smashing the taillight of a federal vehicle — moments that would later become central to the investigation into his death.
The video surfaced just hours after Pretti’s family confirmed he was the man seen in earlier footage spitting on an agent’s SUV and kicking in its taillight during a tense confrontation on January 13.
“Soak Me, Motherf***er”
In the newly released clip, Pretti can be heard yelling at agents as they attempt to leave the scene.
“F*** you!” he shouts.
“What the f*** is wrong with you? Every decision you’ve made in your life is f***ing wrong!”
He then mocks one officer as a “pepper spray b****” and dares them to act.
“Fing soak me, motherfer!”
Moments later, the sound of shattering plastic can be heard as the taillight of an SUV breaks. Pretti flips off the agents while yelling insults as they pull away.
Seconds later, multiple officers rush him, tackling him as stunned bystanders scream in the background. Tear gas and pepper balls are fired into the crowd before Pretti is released and allowed to walk away.
At one point, he appears to have a gun in his waistband — the same weapon he was carrying on the day he was later killed.
Filmed by a Local Father
The video was filmed by Minneapolis resident and tax attorney Max Shapiro, who says he had gone to observe ICE activity near his child’s daycare.
“I got there right as Mr. Pretti was being confronted,” Shapiro said. “Everything was calm until they started leaving. That’s when it escalated.”
Shapiro said the scene only turned chaotic after Pretti kicked the taillight.
“The crowd was yelling. People were upset. But until that moment, it wasn’t violent.”
He added that confrontations like this have become common in the city.
“There’s so much ICE activity now, people are constantly filming. This isn’t isolated.”
Killed 11 Days Later
On January 24, Pretti was shot ten times by Department of Homeland Security officers during a separate encounter.
Authorities say he was carrying a legally owned firearm. Video footage later showed the weapon had been removed from his holster before he was shot.
The two agents involved have since been placed on administrative leave.
Pretti’s family is now being represented by former federal prosecutor Steve Schleicher, who previously helped convict Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd.
“A week before Alex was gunned down, he was violently assaulted by ICE agents,” Schleicher said.
“Nothing from that day justified killing him.”
Growing Public Backlash
The case has ignited nationwide outrage, especially after another civilian — Renee Nicole Good — was killed by an ICE agent earlier this month.
Public trust has plummeted. A new Daily Mail/JL Partners poll found:
- 54% of Americans believe Pretti was murdered
- 22% of Republicans agree
- Only 21% believe the shooting was justified
Trump administration officials initially suggested Pretti posed a threat, but later reports contradicted claims that he “brandished” his weapon.
Video evidence suggests he had already been disarmed before he was shot.
Investigation Ongoing
The Department of Homeland Security says it is reviewing the newly released footage.
The two agents involved remain on desk duty and have been placed on mental health leave while the investigation continues.
Meanwhile, calls are growing louder for accountability — and for answers.
