Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino has given a startling defense for the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, who was shot dead by officers in broad daylight on Saturday.
Bovino joined CNN's Dana Bash on Sunday, where he was mercilessly grilled about ICU nurse Pretti's death on the streets of Minneapolis - just weeks after protester Renee Nicole Good was killed inside her car during a skirmish with ICE agents.
Horrific footage of Pretti, who was legally armed with a handgun, struggling with the Border Patrol officers before being shot on the ground, has sent shockwaves across America - with politicians on both sides of the aisle condemning the violent actions.
Bovino, however, failed to give a straight answer when asked if Pretti, 37, ever pulled out his weapon to threaten law enforcement - and instead placed blame on the deceased, and said that his officers are actually the victims in the situation.
'We do know that the suspect did bring a weapon, a loaded nine-millimeter high-capacity handgun, to a riot,' Bovino said, without clarifying if he brandished the weapon.
He continued: 'We do know that as far as what happened in that intervening moment, with the video that you just showed, that's going to come to light through the investigation that's being investigated, and those facts and those questions will be answered soon enough.'
The Border Patrol leader stunned his interviewer when he defiantly leaped to his officers' defense, calling them the true victims of the ordeal on Saturday.
'The victim, the victims are the Border Patrol agents,' Bovino claimed, before adding that Pretti 'put himself in that situation,' and doubling down that 'the victims are the Border Patrol agents there'.
Greg Bovino - who is one of Donald Trump's top immigration policy figureheads - joined CNN's Dana Bash on Sunday, where he was mercilessly grilled about ICU nurse Alex Pretti's death on the streets of Minneapolis. But instead of showing sympathy, Bovino claimed that it was his agents, not the deceased, who were the victims in the harrowing situation
Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a Minneapolis man and ICU nurse, was shot and killed in broad daylight by Department of Homeland Security Border Patrol agents on Saturday. His death was filmed by multiple people on the scene, and footage has sent shockwaves through America - similar to the outrage triggered by Renee Nicole Good's death at the hands of an ICE officer on January 7
Video footage released Sunday revealed the moments leading up to the death of the 37-year-old Pretti, who died just after 9am near Glam Doll Donuts at 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue.
Pretti could be seen confronting the agents with his phone in hand, angled in their direction.
One agent backed Pretti toward the sidewalk, where the rest of the altercation unfolded.
In another video, seemingly taken moments later, Pretti was seen struggling with federal agents just seconds before he was shot.
As he tried to push the official away, the agent pulled out pepper spray and began unleashing the canister in Pretti's face.
More agents ran toward him as Pretti and two other civilians struggled with the officers.
Several officers and civilians tumbled to the ground in a pile-up as onlookers shouted and honked nearby.
As more and more agents ran toward the struggle, multiple shots rang out. Pretti was killed at the scene.
Bovino and Bash sparred Sunday over their interpretations of the shocking footage showing Pretti's final moments - which have been plastered over social media.
The Border Patrol chief argued that Pretti was on the scene to 'impede' law enforcement, and that he should not have engaged with 'an active law enforcement scene'.
Bash pushed back on Bovino's claims, asking for evidence that Pretti was involved in any action not protected by his First or Second Amendment rights.
'Did he assault the Federal officer in any of the videos that you had seen,' Bash asked Bovino, before adding that 'it looked to us from every angle, sir, that he was approached by them when he was helping another individual who was pushed down.'
'What evidence do you have that he was assaulting any law enforcement?' Bash further asked.
Bovino doubled down on the claim that Pretti's 'help' was not needed on the scene, then deflected to offer his take on the broader law enforcement situation in Minneapolis.
'What our officers are faced with here in Minneapolis are chaotic, very difficult and violent situations,' Bovino stated, before once again pointing the finger at Pretti for 'bringing a loaded weapon to a riot'.
Bovino eventually argued that Pretti's Second Amendment rights were voided by presenting as a threat to law enforcement officers.
'We respect that Second Amendment right, but those rights don't count when you riot and assault, delay, obstruct, and impede law enforcement officers and, most especially, when you mean to do that beforehand,' Bovino said.
Bovino also said that he himself had attended a protest armed and that he supports individuals' ability to do the same.
'I've done that myself and fully support that, but not when you perpetrate violence, obstruct, delay, or obfuscate border patrol in the performance of their duties,' Bovino noted.
During the lengthy interview, Bovino also questioned if Pretti 'fell victim' to the 'violent and heated rhetoric' from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, when the two had likened both border patrol and ICE agents to the Gestapo and Nazis.
At a Saturday news conference, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said the deceased had no serious criminal history and a record that showed only some parking tickets.
Law enforcement sources said their records show Pretti had no serious criminal history.
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Pretti appeared to be filming the interaction prior to being allegedly shot
O'Hara said the man was a 'lawful gun owner' with a permit.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told the Daily Mail that the victim was armed with two magazines and that the gun has since been recovered by federal authorities.
DHS shared a photo of the firearm which was seen lying on the passenger seat of a car.
DHS has since shared its account of the shooting on X, saying the deadly incident began as a 'targeted operation against an illegal alien wanted for violent assault'.
'An individual approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun,' the department wrote. 'The officers attempted to disarm the suspect but the armed suspect violently resisted.'
