Minneapolis 2.0

 This morning, we woke up to the news that federal agents had shot and killed a protester in Minneapolis who was reportedly trying to interfere with an arrest. According to DHS, the man, a 37-year-old resident of Minneapolis, now identified as Alex Pretti, was armed with a handgun. There are now videos, which we have all seen,  showing a group of agents struggling with the man. The scuffle ends with Prettis being shot. A loaded handgun and two magazines were seized by the agents. 

As always, this case will be investigated by the appropriate federal agencies. The videos will be examined in detail, slow motion, clip by clip, to determine whether the actions of the agent(s) who shot Pretti did so with justification. What I want to know is whether Pretti had the gun in his hand at the time of the struggle. According to one DHS account I heard on TV, he was “brandishing” the weapon. Was it in his hand? Did he show it to the agents in his waistband when he approached? If it wasn’t in his hand, was he attempting to reach for it during the struggle? 

According to what Minnesota officials have told us, Pretti legally owned the gun and also had a concealed carry permit. That, of course, would not have given him the right to draw it while confronting federal agents. Where that gun was when he was shot is crucial.

What happened after the shooting is deeply disturbing. It is clear at this point that these actions by protesters are largely organized and involve outside agitators as well as ordinary Minneapolis residents who are outraged by the previous shooting and now this.

What is clearly not helping the situation is the continued fanning of the anger by Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey. Instead of urging more “peaceful” protests, they should be telling their citizens to stay home. Today, both of them basically passed judgment on the shooting. Walz promised that in the end, Minnesota will bring justice. Frey, just as he did, in the shooting death of  Renee Good, dismissed the claims of ICE/DHS that the shooting was in self-defense. Both of them prattled on about the “peaceful protests” going on in Minneapolis, even while the scenes of ICE agents being attacked played out.

And yes, President Trump does not help the situation with his comments.

How much of this could have been avoided had cities like Minneapolis not adopted their asinine sanctuary policies? How much safer it would be if ICE agents were able to pick up prisoners from local jails instead of having to track them down on the streets. It is regrettable that municipal and state police have not been securing the streets of Minneapolis while ICE goes about its business. It is they, not ICE, who are trained in crowd control. (Today, some MPD and State Police officers were sent to the scene, but were unable to secure it from the growing crowd.) Had Joe Biden not allowed millions of people with criminal or questionable backgrounds into our country, this entire nationwide operation might have been unnecessary. 

So here we are again. Can anyone say with any confidence that this will be the last person to die in Minneapolis?