After watching every available clip, my conclusion is narrower than much of the commentary flying around online. The man who was killed, Alex Pretti, may have been committing a felony by impeding a federal operation, which would’ve deserved its own legal scrutiny in another world. What it does not justify is his death in the street. The available video shows a chaotic confrontation, tear gas deployed at close range, a firearm removed from Pretti’s holster by officers, and then gunfire after someone shouts “gun.” What it does not show is Pretti brandishing a weapon or threatening officers with lethal force.
I do not believe this was an execution or a deliberate act of murder. I believe it was an encounter that escalated too quickly, with too many armed officers, insufficient de-escalation, and poor command control. And for whatever charges Pretti might’ve faced were he not killed, it does reinforce the central criticism facing DHS and Customs and Border Protection right now: they are expanding operations faster than training, discipline, and judgment can keep up.
