According to a witness, Pretty did not show aggression and did not attempt to reach for a weapon: he approached the scene with a phone, recording the event and trying to help a woman who was reportedly sprayed with pepper spray. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security claims that Pretty was armed and provided a photograph of a gun that they allege was on him, but did not clarify whether he threatened them.
After the incident, a crowd gathered at the scene, expressing dissatisfaction with the actions of ICE agents and demanding that they leave the streets.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, commenting on the incident, told the Associated Press that he reached out to the White House calling for an end to ICE operations, stating: "Minnesota is fed up with this. It’s disgusting. The President needs to put an end to this operation," he wrote on Twitter.
This incident occurred against the backdrop of growing protests against ICE actions in the state. Earlier, on January 7, during a similar raid in Minneapolis, an ICE officer shot 37-year-old local resident Rene Nicole Good. Federal authorities claimed she attempted to run over an agent; however, video that emerged after the incident did not support this version. These events triggered mass protests against immigration services across the country.
