A federal judge declined to compel federal officials to preserve all evidence in the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, voicing confidence Monday that court intervention isn’t needed.
“Plaintiffs identify reasonable concerns regarding Defendants’ ability and willingness to preserve and maintain the integrity of the evidence in their possession related to Mr. Pretti’s shooting,” wrote U.S. District Judge Eric Tostrud, “but in my judgment, the record as it stands today largely addresses these concerns and does not justify a continuing preservation order.”
Minnesota and Hennepin County went to court after federal officials turned local and state personnel away and refused to share evidence in the Pretti investigation.
Tostrud has yet to decide whether the evidence must ultimately be turned over, but his new ruling means he won’t immediately intervene as the lawsuit moves forward. Tostrud is an appointee of President Trump.
A Customs and Border Protection agent shot and killed Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse, in Minneapolis last month. He became the second U.S. citizen to die at the hands of federal agents during Operation Metro Surge in the Twin Cities, fueling outrage and demands from Democrats to change immigration enforcement.
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