Executive Summary
- The Minnesota BCA and FBI will conduct a joint investigation into the death of Alex Pretti.
- State investigators were initially denied access to the scene despite holding a judicial warrant.
- The DOJ initiated a separate civil rights investigation into the shooting on January 30.
- The incident involved agents from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in Minneapolis.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) will collaborate with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on a joint inquiry into the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents, according to sources cited by KARE 11. This development establishes a cooperative framework for the investigation following the January 24 incident in Minneapolis.
The agreement marks a procedural shift after initial reports of jurisdictional friction. According to BCA officials, federal agencies initially declined to involve local authorities, and the BCA’s Force Investigations Unit was denied access to the shooting scene despite securing a signed warrant from a judge. The joint investigation aims to bridge these agency efforts.
Parallel to this new cooperation, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on January 30 that it has opened a civil rights investigation into Pretti’s death. Additionally, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the agency whose officers were reportedly involved, is conducting an internal review. While federal authorities have not publicly released the names of the agents involved, independent reporting by ProPublica has identified them using government records.
Interagency Jurisdictional Oversight
The formation of a joint task force between the BCA and FBI represents a significant step in navigating the complexities of federal use-of-force incidents occurring within state jurisdictions. This collaboration likely aims to streamline evidence sharing and address public calls for transparency regarding federal operations in the Twin Cities. The involvement of state-level investigators provides an additional layer of scrutiny alongside the federal civil rights probe. It is important to note that all individuals involved in the investigation, including law enforcement personnel, are presumed innocent of any criminal misconduct until proven guilty in a court of law.
