Minnesota prosecutors have secured previously withheld evidence regarding the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two individuals killed by federal immigration agents during protests against a federal immigration crackdown earlier this year.
Evidence obtained after months of demand
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced in a video statement posted on social media that her office had obtained hard drives containing evidence that federal officials had previously withheld. The evidence includes Good's car, statements, police body-camera video, and other materials related to the deaths of Good and Pretti, as well as the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis.
“Through the cooperation of our federal partners, we have obtained hard drives of previously withheld evidence in the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis,” Moriarty said. “Our democracy requires it. After receiving this evidence, we immediately began to analyze it in the context of the evidence we already had in hand. This analysis is ongoing.”
Details of the shootings
Renee Good, an unarmed 37-year-old US citizen and mother, was fatally shot on January 7 in Minneapolis by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent. She was shot in the driver's seat of her car. Incident reports and a private autopsy requested by her family show she suffered three gunshot wounds, including one to the head.
“Obtaining this evidence has been a priority for us since January 7, the day Renee Good was shot and killed,” Moriarty said on Monday. “It has been rightfully demanded by our community for six months.”
Alex Pretti, a Minneapolis nurse observing immigration officers, was shot dead on January 24 by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials in Minneapolis.
Family attorney expresses concern
Steve Schleicher, attorney for the Pretti family, said he and his clients were “initially encouraged” by the announcement. However, after a subsequent meeting with US Attorney Daniel Rosen for the district of Minnesota, Schleicher said Rosen “refused to confirm any cooperation agreement between state and federal agencies – continuing to deny the Pretti family basic information that they have been requesting for months.”
“No family should be required to beg federal authorities to do their job. Without a public commitment by federal authorities to cooperate with the state, it is difficult – if not, impossible – to pursue justice that holds the individuals accountable for Alex’s death,” Schleicher continued.
Federal cooperation questioned
The US Attorney's office and the Hennepin County Attorney's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Earlier this year, Minnesota authorities said the FBI was refusing to share evidence from its investigation into the shootings of Good, Sosa-Celis, and Pretti. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz demanded an “impartial” investigation into the shootings.
Julio Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national, was shot during the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Minnesota. The federal officer who shot Sosa-Celis was charged in May with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime.
