American citizens have been brutalized, pepper-sprayed, and killed on the streets of Minneapolis. For many, one particular breakdown is a final, damning cause for despair: Minnesota’s apparent inability to investigate and potentially prosecute the federal agents responsible. The Department of Homeland Security on Saturday reportedly blocked Minnesota officials from examining the scene of Alex Pretti’s shooting. Access was refused even after state officials got a judicial search warrant. As a result, key forensic evidence was almost certainly lost. This comes after state officials were excluded from the investigation into Renee Good’s death.
Federal obstruction of Minnesota’s criminal investigation merits more creative pushback from the state: Leaving investigations in the hands of DHS alone sends a powerful message to ICE officers. It tells them that even if they effectively execute a U.S. citizen who presents no threat on camera on a public street, they will face no consequences—a recipe for future tragedies. The state’s interest in finding a way to at least create some deterrence to deadly federal lawlessness is not just a matter of justice: It is also a way of keeping its people safe moving forward.
[Robert F. Worth: Welcome to the American winter]…