Minnesota Man Identified as VA Nurse Killed by Federal Agents During Protests: 'He Wanted to Help People'
A 37-year-old registered nurse working at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Alex Pretti, has been identified as the man who was killed by federal agents during a protest in Minneapolis. According to his colleagues and family members, Pretti was known for his kind and caring nature, often going out of his way to help others.
"He was an outstanding nurse and a hard worker," said Dimitri Drekonja, chief of infectious diseases at the VA hospital and professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota, who worked with Pretti. "He was always asking what he could do to help. He had an infectious spirit and was quick with a joke."
Pretti's father described his son as someone who cared deeply about people and was upset by the actions of federal agents in Minneapolis and throughout the United States. "He felt that doing the protesting was a way to express that, you know, his care for others," Michael Pretti said.
Video footage shows Pretti directing traffic and filming federal agents during the protest on Saturday before being wrestled to the ground by several law enforcement officers. He was then shot multiple times, with one officer firing a shot at him at close range.
According to police chief Brian O'Hara, Pretti had no prior interactions with law enforcement other than for traffic tickets. The family also warned him about being careful during protests before his death.
Pretti's colleagues and peers are shocked by the news of his death, which has sparked an outpouring of grief from the nursing community. "Today, our nursing community is grieving," said a statement from the Minnesota Organization of Registered Nurses. "We have lost a fellow registered nurse to an act of violence connected to immigration enforcement."
The incident highlights the risks faced by individuals who participate in protests and the need for greater awareness and caution when engaging with law enforcement. For Pretti, his passion for helping others and advocating for social justice ultimately proved fatal.
"He found humor in life, and that's what's just so sad about seeing this," said Drekonja. "It's just a huge tragedy."
A 37-year-old registered nurse working at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Alex Pretti, has been identified as the man who was killed by federal agents during a protest in Minneapolis. According to his colleagues and family members, Pretti was known for his kind and caring nature, often going out of his way to help others.
"He was an outstanding nurse and a hard worker," said Dimitri Drekonja, chief of infectious diseases at the VA hospital and professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota, who worked with Pretti. "He was always asking what he could do to help. He had an infectious spirit and was quick with a joke."
Pretti's father described his son as someone who cared deeply about people and was upset by the actions of federal agents in Minneapolis and throughout the United States. "He felt that doing the protesting was a way to express that, you know, his care for others," Michael Pretti said.
Video footage shows Pretti directing traffic and filming federal agents during the protest on Saturday before being wrestled to the ground by several law enforcement officers. He was then shot multiple times, with one officer firing a shot at him at close range.
According to police chief Brian O'Hara, Pretti had no prior interactions with law enforcement other than for traffic tickets. The family also warned him about being careful during protests before his death.
Pretti's colleagues and peers are shocked by the news of his death, which has sparked an outpouring of grief from the nursing community. "Today, our nursing community is grieving," said a statement from the Minnesota Organization of Registered Nurses. "We have lost a fellow registered nurse to an act of violence connected to immigration enforcement."
The incident highlights the risks faced by individuals who participate in protests and the need for greater awareness and caution when engaging with law enforcement. For Pretti, his passion for helping others and advocating for social justice ultimately proved fatal.
"He found humor in life, and that's what's just so sad about seeing this," said Drekonja. "It's just a huge tragedy."
my heart goes out to Alex's family & friends they're going through such a devastating time 
Alex was described as having an 'infectious spirit' - that means he had this sparkly personality that made everyone feel better just being around him 
it breaks my heart to think that his kindness & passion for helping others led to his tragic death. can we talk about how senseless violence is?! 
we need to take a moment to appreciate people like Alex who are fighting for what's right, even if it puts them in harm's way 
. It's crazy how one wrong move can lead to such a tragic outcome. I mean, the guy was just trying to direct traffic and document what was happening, not cause any trouble at all. And to think he had no prior run-ins with law enforcement before this... it's just heartbreaking 
. We need to be more mindful of the risks we take when standing up for what we believe in, and make sure we're taking care of each other too 
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, I'm still trying to process how such an act can happen to someone who was just trying to help others. 
this is crazy, i mean i know protests can get heated but you don't gotta die over it you know? like alex pretti was just trying to help people and make a difference and now he's gone 
anyway, my condolences to alex's family and friends, this is just a huge tragedy 
I can totally see why his colleagues and family are so upset right now 
it's not like he was some kind of troublemaker or anything... just someone who wanted to use his platform to advocate for social justice 
It's crazy how the system can turn on us sometimes. I'm still tryna process this whole thing...
even with precautions, he still ended up paying the ultimate price 
my thoughts are with his family & loved ones during this tough time 
, but alex's spirit is still alive and it's gonna keep on inspiring people to make a difference 
he had no history of problems with law enforcement, and his family warned him about protests, but still it happened... it's not just about immigration policies, it's about people losing their lives because they're speaking out against injustice 
. He went out of his way to make a difference, and that's something we can all learn from. It's heartbreaking that he had to lose his life in such a tragic circumstance, but let's not forget the impact he made during those protests - he stood up for what he believed in and gave it his all 
.
. My thoughts are with Alex's family and colleagues, and I hope this incident brings about some real change in how we approach protests and law enforcement 
. What were the cops thinking? It's like they didn't even bother to identify themselves or try to de-escalate the situation before things got out of hand.
. Anyways, RIP Alex Pretti... this is just heartbreaking 
We need to take a step back and think about the impact our actions can have on others, even if we're just trying to express ourselves. 
. His passion for social justice is so admirable, even if it led to his tragic death