Federal authorities, including DHS, have offered a different narrative. Officials have said Pretti was armed with a 9mm handgun and have framed the shooting as self-defense. The family disputes that interpretation and argues that the footage undermines the claim that he posed an immediate, lethal threat at the moment he was shot. They contend that if he had been legally carrying, it still does not justify lethal force if his weapon remained holstered and he was not actively threatening anyone.
Beyond the dispute over the moment of the shooting, the family’s statement focused on who Pretti was when cameras weren’t rolling. They described him as a devoted son, friend, and public servant, emphasizing his work caring for veterans as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. They said he cared deeply about his community and believed in protecting people who were vulnerable. Continue reading…