The mind reels, about what has taken place in Minneapolis.
It is sickening, and tragic, the killing of Alex Pretti on Saturday--the needless and brutal aggression by the Border Patrol agents, leading, within some thirty seconds, to Mr. Pretti's death.
The images of Renee Good, and Mr. Pretti, in their last moments, are deeply painful to see--along with so many other disturbing and hideous images of the tactics of federal agents in Minneapolis (and elsewhere).
And there was, indeed, the shameful rush by Trump officials to place the blame on Mr. Pretti (as took place following Renee Good's January 7th death, in labeling her a "domestic terrorist"): self-serving claims about Mr. Pretti, which were quickly called into question by various videos--claims that Mr. Pretti "attacked" the federal agents, and that he was "brandishing" a gun (Kristi Noem); that he was (without evidence put forth) "an assassin," seeking "to murder federal agents" (Stephen Miller); that "it looks like" he "wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement" (Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino).
On Saturday, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said: "The federal government cannot be trusted to handle this investigation. The state will handle it, period."
Secretary Noem said: "Who would trust Governor Walz at this point? The man has stood up and encouraged resistance. He has refused to partner with us. He's sacrificed his citizens' safety and their well-being."
I would trust Governor Walz any day, over Ms. Noem, and her fellow officials in the Trump administration.
The Trump administration's legal response to the shooting of Ms. Good was despicable--shutting Minnesota out of any investigation, and declaring there was no need to look further into her killing.
On January 20th, The Minnesota Star Tribune's Editorial Board wrote, in part, of Renee Good's death:
The U.S. Department of Justice says it has no interest in investigating Renee Good’s death by an ICE agent. Federal officials have already labeled the killing a defensive act and moved on. But if that conclusion is sound, it should withstand scrutiny beyond the walls of Washington.
What is unfolding in Minnesota is not merely a transparency dispute. It’s a breakdown in due process at a moment of intense national scrutiny. When federal authorities barred state investigators from reviewing evidence in a fatal shooting on a south Minneapolis street, they did more than limit access. They denied the public a credible and independent accounting of the federal killing of an American citizen.
The Trump Justice Department should reverse course, and allow Minnesota full access to the evidence concerning Renee Good's death. They should do the same with evidence regarding the killing of Alex Pretti.
