If you were driving near 15th Street and Walton Way yesterday afternoon and were curious about a mass of people standing along the road, here’s the answer:
About 100 Augusta-area activists gathered to memorialize Alex Pretti, who was shot during a protest by federal agents. They remembered him through prayers, lit candles, and asked everyone present to start taking action to prevent something like this from happening again.
What to know about Alex Pretti shooting
During an immigration enforcement operation, an altercation was sparked between civilian bystanders and federal agents. Videos of the incident show Pretti getting between an agent and someone who’d been pushed, at which point Pretti was pepper sprayed, brought to the ground by several agents, and hit repeatedly.
Moments later, two of the agents shot Pretti. Officers claim he pulled a gun on them and this was an act of self defense. While he did have a gun, multiple bystanders say they never saw him brandish it, and video of the incident supports that. It’s also worth mentioning Minneapolis police said Pretti legally owned the gun and was permitted to carry it…