Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and Bureau of Criminal Apprehension file lawsuit to prevent destruction of evidence in partnership with Minnesota Attorney General’s Office

This evening, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office (HCAO) and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), represented by the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office (AGO), filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the destruction of evidence related to the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti. The lawsuit is accompanied by a motion for a temporary restraining order, which asks the court to immediately prevent the defendants from destroying any evidence related to the shooting of Pretti.

The lawsuit and motion for a temporary restraining order were filed shortly after 7 p.m. in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), and the U.S. Border Control, as well as their respective leadership. United States Attorney General Pam Bondi is also named as a defendant.

Evidence covered by today’s filings includes evidence the defendants, and those acting at their direction and under their authority, took from the scene of the shooting, preventing state authorities from inspecting it.

“As I said earlier today, I will not rest, my team will not rest, until we have done everything in our power, everything within our authority, to achieve transparency and accountability,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said. “Our office has jurisdiction to review this matter for potential criminal conduct by the federal agents involved and we will do so. This collaborative lawsuit is just one of the many actions our office is taking to ensure that a thorough and transparent investigation can be completed at the state level.”

“Federal agents are not above the law and Alex Pretti is certainly not beneath it,” said Attorney General Keith Ellison. “A full, impartial, and transparent investigation into his fatal shooting at the hands of DHS agents is non-negotiable. Minnesota law enforcement is currently carrying out such an investigation, and it is essential that the evidence collected by federal agents is preserved and turned over to state officials. Today’s lawsuit aims to bar the federal government from destroying or tampering with any of the evidence they have collected. Justice will be done.”

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