Border Patrol agents placed on leave over Pretti’s shooting | World | News

Two US Border Patrol agents involved in the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minnesota have been placed on «administrative leave», according to DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin. The intensive care nurse was shot dead on January 24. 

A Customs and Border Protection official told Congress in a notice sent on Tuesday, January 28, that two officers had fired shots during the deadly shooting. The notice didn’t appear to confirm claims made by federal officials that the nurse was «brandishing» a gun at the time of the incident. On Wednesday, a Customs and Border Patrol spokesperson confirmed two agents involved in the incident had been placed on leave, adding this was «standard protocol».

It was not immediately clear when the agents, who have not been publicly named, had been put on leave. The standard protocol normally sees federal law enforcement agents involved in a shooting being placed on administrative leave during the course of the investigation into the incident.

Explaining what this measure normally means, Scott Sweetow, a former special agent in charge for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, told CBS: «That’s both to protect the agency, to protect the person and frankly to protect the public from someone who may really be rattled when they’re out there because they’ve had to use deadly force and you don’t want them back out there engaging in a situation where they could use deadly force again.»

Mr Pretti is believed to have attended protests following the death of Renee Good, who was shot dead in her car by ICE less than a mile from where the nurse was killed.

News the officers had been put on administrative leave came hours after US President Donald Trump said on Fox News’ “Will Cain Show” he was sending border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to «de-escalate a little bit».

And before heading to Iowa for a rally on Tuesday, the US President appeared to disagree with his adviser Stephen Miller, as he said he did not believe Mr Pretti was a «would-be assassin», the description used by Mr Miller.

Following the deadly shooting of Mr Pretti, top White House officials including Mr Miller and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem prompted fury among Mr Pretti’s family members, Democrats, members of the public, and some Republican politicians with their remarks. 

Mr Pretti’s family said he was a «kind-hearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends», claiming he was «clearly not holding a gun when attacked».