I’ve spent years in intelligence – with the U.S. Army in combat zones around the world as well as DHS stateside. I’ve run watchcenter operations across war zones abroad and disaster zones at home, and served as a briefer for senior officials.
With over two decades in special operations and counter-terrorism, I know exactly what federal law enforcement looks like when it’s operating within the law. And I know what it looks like when it’s lying through its teeth.
I’m David Dodds, Watch Center Director at ResistMap. My team and I analyzed the video evidence from this morning’s shooting in Minneapolis. Here’s what we found.
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Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF):
DHS claims Alex Pretti was a violent, armed man who approached CBP officers with a 9mm handgun intent on doing them harm. They claim he intended to “do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.” They claim he “violently resisted.”
Every one of these statements is false. We have the video, and in this article, we’ll walk you through a detailed analysis that proves their narrative is a lie.
Who Was Alex Pretti?
Alex Jeffrey Pretti, RN. 37 years old. Minneapolis resident. Registered nurse at the VA, where he spent his days caring for veterans. Avid outdoorsman. Athlete. No criminal record.
This morning, federal agents killed him.
Alex Pretti wearing scrubs in a hospital portrait
What DHS Says Happened
According to DHS, Pretti approached officers with a handgun “intent on doing them harm” and wanted to “massacre law enforcement.”
DHS Statement from Social Media (1/24/2026)
That’s the official story. Now let me show you what actually happened.
What the Video Evidence Shows
Our analysts gathered footage from multiple sources – social media posts, people on the ground, and eyewitnesses. We’ve reconstructed the sequence of events.
1. Alex was filming, not approaching with intent to harm
At the beginning of this video, Alex – identifiable by his tan pants, brown jacket, and black hat (highlighted in the red box throughout this article) – can be clearly seen capturing footage with his cell phone as an unidentified federal agent (highlighted in the green box throughout this article) closes in on two peaceful legal observers.
Alex is not approaching anyone. He’s not threatening anyone. He’s documenting.
2. Agent assaults first woman
The federal agent closes in and pushes a woman in a brown jacket to the ground. She was posing no threat. She was recording with her cell phone.
This is the first use of force we see – against an unarmed woman who was simply recording.
3. Alex positions himself protectively
After pushing the woman in the brown jacket, she retreats and stands behind Alex. He attempts to protect her from getting shoved again as the federal agent now approaches a second woman – in a white jacket – before pushing her to the ground as well. She also showed no aggressiveness. She was doing nothing wrong.
Two women assaulted. Alex is trying to shield them from further harm.
4. Hands up. Empty.
After the agent pushes the woman in white to the ground, Alex attempts to step in to protect her from being harmed any further. Look at this image carefully.
He is clearly seen with his hands up and empty, showing that he means no harm.
This is not a man “intent on doing harm.” This is not a man approaching officers to “massacre law enforcement.” This is a man with his hands raised, showing he’s not a threat.
5. Pepper sprayed while compliant
After Alex attempts to protect the women from further harm, the agent deploys OC spray directly into his face.
Think about that for a second. Anyone who’s been sprayed knows – you’re in severe pain, you can barely see, you can barely breathe. Despite all of that, Alex continues to keep his hands raised while filming to show that he is no threat.
He never presented a threat. He never approached them to do harm. He never tried to “inflict maximum damage and massacre law enforcement” like DHS would have you believe.
6. Beaten while not resisting
After Alex is pepper sprayed and taken to the ground, multiple video angles show officers beating on him with their fists and feet. Kicking and punching him mercilessly as he continues to not resist.
During this, Alex tries to cover himself to protect from injury. He does not resist. Both of his hands can clearly be seen in front of his face while he’s on the ground. He is not reaching for anything. He is protecting himself from the blows.
Here’s Where DHS’s Story Falls Apart Completely..
Yes, Alex was carrying a weapon – one he was legally allowed to carry and had a permit for. He was exercising his Second Amendment right while also exercising his First Amendment right to protest and film the activities of federal agents.
DHS would have you believe Alex was a dangerous domestic terrorist – that once he was tackled and being beaten, he reached for his weapon, and that’s why they shot him.
The truth is far more concerning: the weapon was removed BEFORE he was shot.
The federal agent in the image below – identifiable by his grey jacket (blue box) – can be seen disarming Alex by pulling the weapon from his holster. The weapon he was legally allowed to carry.
Alex is disarmed. Remember this moment.
DHS themselves posted a picture of the gun they took from the scene. Look at it carefully. You can clearly see it’s a Sig Sauer model with very prominent white pistol grips, a gold barrel, and the box-shaped Sig Sauer red-dot sight.
These details matter. Remember them.
Now look at this frame from the video
In this image captured from video, we can clearly see that same pistol (yellow box) being removed from the scene by the federal agent previously identified by the blue box. White grips. Gold barrel. Same weapon.
This image was taken BEFORE Alex was shot for the first time.
This agent is walking away from the scene with the same weapon DHS posted to justify their use of deadly force.
Alex Pretti was killed AFTER his legally carried pistol was taken from him.
This Is What Murder Looks Like
I’ve seen a lot of bad operations in my career. Bad judgment. Bad intel. Things that went sideways.
This isn’t that. This is officers beating a compliant man, disarming him, and then shooting him anyway. And then lying about it.
DHS is counting on you not looking too closely. They’re counting on the statement being enough. They’re counting on you trusting them.
Don’t.
It’s time this administration holds its officers accountable.
v/r, David Dodds Watch Center Director, ResistMap Chief of Operations, Arsenal PAC
If you have additional video or photographic evidence from this incident, contact the ResistMap Watchcenter at watchcenter@resistmap.com
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Solid analysis.
I’m guessing a new & poorly trained ICE agent yelled “GUN!” That is still murder.