A US border patrol officer has shot and killed a man in Minneapolis. Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, is the second person to be shot dead by a federal agent in the city this month.
The authorities have used tear gas to disperse protesters who have returned to the streets to protest against the operation by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in the city.
What do we know so far about the latest shooting and what consequences could it have?
How it unfolded
Tensions in Minneapolis have been high since the Trump administration deployed 2,000 federal agents on 6 January to the area after allegations of welfare fraud in the state.
It is in response to a campaign launched by ICE late last year to target immigrants in Minneapolis who were issued deportation orders, including members of the city’s Somali community.
Protests took place since the agents arrived and further escalated after the fatal shooting of US citizen Renee Nicole Good on 8 January.
Who was the person shot?
Pretti was a white US citizen and a Minneapolis resident, officials said. Police described him as a lawful gun owner, whose only known interaction with law enforcement was related to parking tickets.
One video verified by the BBC filmed from inside a coffee and donut shop on Nicollet Avenue shows the moment when agents surround and tackle him to the ground. One appears to hit him several times before gunshots are heard. Pretti then falls to the ground.
The US Department of Homeland Security also shared a photo of what it says is the gun he carried.
What federal authorities have said
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that a federal officer shot and killed a man in Minneapolis at 9:05 local time (15:05 GMT) on 24 January.
Spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Border Patrol officers were carrying out a “targeted operation” on an “illegal alien wanted for violent assault” when someone approached with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun.
“The officers attempted to disarm the suspect but the armed suspect violently resisted,” McLaughlin said.
“Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots. Medics on scene immediately delivered medical aid to the subject but was pronounced dead at the scene.”
At a news conference later, Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino said the agent had “fired defensive shots”.
What state and city authorities have said
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, posted to social media saying he told the White House that Minnesota “must lead the investigation” after the incident.
At a news conference, Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said ICE operations were “not creating safety in our city”, describing the crackdown as an “invasion” of masked agents who have a sense of impunity.
Frey urged US President Donald Trump to “put Minneapolis, put America first” and “take action now and remove these federal agents”.
What Trump has said
The president posted to social media a photo of the handgun posted by Homeland Security. He questioned where local police were and “why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers?”
“The Mayor and the Governor called them off? It is stated that many of these Police were not allowed to do their job, that ICE had to protect themselves – Not an easy thing to do!,” he wrote.
Without citing evidence, Trump accused local officials of a “cover up” to hide theft and fraud.
“The mayor and governor are inciting insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous and arrogant rhetoric … LET OUR ICE PATRIOTS DO THEIR JOB!”
By BBC News
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