The investigation could lead to criminal charges
Democrats question whether the investigation will be thorough
It will not apply to the killing of another American citizen in Minneapolis
WASHINGTON, Jan 30 (Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis, a senior official said on Friday.
The department’s investigation could potentially lead to criminal charges against the officers involved, although there is a high legal bar for filing such a case.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the FBI is looking into Saturday’s shooting with possible help from the department’s civil rights division, which typically takes the lead in law enforcement use-of-force investigations. He pointed out that the review is preliminary and downplayed its scope.
“This is what I would describe as a standard FBI investigation when circumstances arise like we saw last Saturday,” Blanche said at a news conference.
Pretti’s shooting by immigration agents sparked widespread outrage and prompted the Trump administration to de-escalate its immigration crackdown in Minnesota. Local officials said the administration could not be trusted and were conducting their own investigation.
A preliminary review by U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Pretti, 37, was shot by two federal officers, a Border Patrol agent and a customs officer. Pretti was the second protester shot by federal agents in Minneapolis this month.
Video of the encounter verified by Reuters showed Pretti holding a cell phone as agents tackled him to the ground. Video evidence also showed the officer removing a handgun from Pretti’s body shortly before the first shots were fired.
Blanche’s statement followed days of uncertainty about the nature of the DOJ’s involvement in the investigation.
A Justice Department official told Reuters earlier this week that a civil rights criminal investigation would only be opened if evidence warranted it. A DHS official said in a court affidavit after the shooting that DHS was the lead investigative entity.
The department has not yet opened a civil criminal investigation into the fatal shooting of Renee Good, 37, by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer earlier this month. Blanche previously said there was no reason for a criminal investigation.
(Reporting by Andrew Goudsward, Editing by Andy Sullivan and Diane Craft)
