LETTER: American citizens are being executed by government with no consequence

To the editor,

I watched three videos taken by bystanders of the death of Alex Jeffrey Pretti several times. All were from different angles. 

Pretti was not harassing or impeding the acts of the Border Control and ICE officers. He was helping a woman to her feet which an agent shoved to the ground. He was within his legal right to protest peacefully. He had his phone in one hand, and the other hand was held up to block the pepper spray which agents were spraying into his face at close range. 

In seconds, agents tackled Pretti to the ground. He never drew his weapon. They removed his weapon, which he was lawfully carrying, and then shot him three times in the back. Then one in his upper left chest area and possibly a fifth in the neck. 

Pretti appeared to be on his knees when the initial shots were fired. After he rotated and fell, there were additional shots as he lay on his back. He was pinned to the ground by a scrum of at least six agents and simply executed at close range. The first three in his back would have killed him instantly. Were the remaining for revenge or to send a message to bystanders? 

Like the killing of Renee Good, multiple shots were fired, and her killer, Jonathan Ross, said “f------ b----” seconds after the shooting. I believe these killings were not self-defense but bloody sadistic declarations that, “we rule the streets of Minneapolis and beyond.” 

Kristi Noem and Gregory Bovino held press conferences declaring that Pretti approached ICE with a 9 mm handgun with the intent to harm ICE officers.  They publicly blatantly lie.  They know you know they are lying, but they continue to lie and demand you accept their lies.  

It seems Border Control and ICE agents can execute any American citizen without consequence.

Beth Hanken

Monticello