A newly released video, shared by BBC News and originally obtained by The News Movement, shows what appears to be ICU nurse Alex Pretti in a tense confrontation with federal officers in Minneapolis on January 13.
But soon after the footage spread, social media erupted with claims that the video was fake or AI-generated. Family representatives, however, told the BBC that the person in the video is Pretti.
What Are People Claiming?
Soon after the footage appeared, several posts across social media platforms claimed that the video was AI-generated.
One viral claim said, “Watch the individual claimed to be Alex Pretti take off his jacket… it flies around like Dr. Strange’s cape. This is an obvious AI video and should be taken down.”
Another post stated, “Angry Alex Pretti videos are AI-generated slop. You can’t trust what you see anymore… it’s all a distraction.”
But other users pushed back, warning against spreading misinformation.
One widely shared message stated, “Stop saying that the Jan 13 video of Alex Pretti is AI. It isn’t AI; his family has confirmed as much. Insisting the opposite is counterproductive.”
A spokesperson for the Pretti family also confirmed to the BBC that the man in the video is indeed Alex Pretti, not an AI creation.
What Does The Video Actually Show?
The footage shows a man identified as Pretti yelling at federal officers standing next to an SUV. He shouts abuses at them, spits on the vehicle, and kicks a taillight twice until it breaks.
An officer then steps out, grabs him, and more officers arrive, tackling him to the ground.
In the video, the man can be heard shouting, “Help me, help me!”
Bystanders begin shouting at agents. A handgun can be seen tucked into the man’s waistband as he continues yelling, “Please go home… leave.”
Officers eventually deploy tear gas and return to their vehicle before driving away.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told NewsNation that Homeland Security Investigations is reviewing the footage.
Alex Pretti Shooting Details
The January 13 video surfaced after Alex Pretti, 37, was fatally shot on January 24 during a large-scale immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis ordered by the Trump administration.
Pretti had participated in protests following the January 7 killing of Renee Good by an ICE officer and earlier demonstrations after George Floyd’s death in 2020.
A Border Patrol agent and a Customs and Border Protection officer have since been placed on administrative leave.
His death, the second fatal shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis in less than a month, fueleld major protests.
Who Was Alex Jeffrey Pretti?
Alex Jeffrey Pretti was born in Illinois and grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He went to Preble High School, where he played football and baseball, ran track, joined the Boy Scouts, and sang in the Green Bay Boy Choir.
After high school, Pretti went on to study at the University of Minnesota. He graduated in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in biology, society, and the environment.
He first worked as a research scientist. Later, he went back to school to become a registered nurse.
Eventually, he worked as an intensive care unit (ICU) nurse for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Minneapolis, caring for sick and injured patients.
