By EMMA RICHTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER and STEPHEN M. LEPORE, US SENIOR REPORTER
Alex Pretti was filmed spitting at a federal SUV, smashing its tail light and fighting with cops 11 days before the shooting that shocked America.
Lawyers for Pretti’s family confirmed to The Star Tribune that the agitator in the footage on January 11 is, in fact, him.
Pretti’s likely attendance was confirmed with the help of BBC facial recognition software and published in a joint effort between the British public broadcaster and The News Movement.
Reporter Dan Ming was on the scene to cover the ongoing protests in Minneapolis and can be seen at the beginning of the clip. He confirmed his attendance in an email sent to the Daily Mail.
The Department of Homeland Security said that they are investigating the footage.
Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was killed on January 24 after being shot 10 times by Department of Homeland Security officers.
The gun he was lawfully carrying was removed from his holster, before an unnamed agent shot him dead in broad daylight.
In the new video, Pretti is seen wearing an identical brown outfit to the one the nurse wore on the day of his death.
New footage showed the moment an anti-ICE protestor, confirmed to be Alex Pretti, shouting at federal officers on January 13 in Minneapolis. The video was filmed by The News Movement, who were at the scene. The clip begins with him angrily spitting at the window of the Ford Expedition SUV filled with federal officers conducting raids to arrest illegal migrants, with Pretti heard screaming ‘F*****g trash’ at officers.
As the Ford begins to pull away, the furious agitator angrily kicks its tail light, shattering it.
An officer then gets out of the car and fights with Pretti, pinning him to the ground as bystanders jeer and scream.
The protester’s hat comes off and displays the same male pattern baldness seen atop Pretti’s head during his final moments on Saturday.
Surrounding officers then fired tear gas and pepper balls into the crowd while agents released Pretti from their grip and set him free.
Pretti, who appeared to have a gun in his waistband as he did the day of the shooting, then picked up his belongings that came off in the scuffle and walked away.
The officers he had been fighting with appeared to be ICE or Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents.
On Tuesday, it was revealed Pretti had an altercation with federal officers that saw him break a rib before his killing.