Pair testify that Pretti did not hold weapon and was trying to help woman federal agents had shoved to the ground

Pair testify that Pretti did not hold weapon and was trying to help woman federal agents had shoved to the ground

Two witnesses to the killing of Alex Pretti have said in sworn testimony that the 37-year-old intensive care nurse was not brandishing a weapon when he approached federal agents in Minneapolis on Saturday, contradicting a claim made by Trump administration officials as they sought to cast the shooting of a prone man as an act of self-defense.

Their accounts came in sworn affidavits that were filed in federal court in Minnesota late Saturday, just hours after Pretti’s killing, as part of a lawsuit brought by the ACLU on behalf of Minneapolis protesters against Kristi Noem and other homeland security officials directing the immigration crackdown in the city.

One witness is a woman who filmed the clearest video of the fatal shooting; the other is a physician who lives nearby and said they were initially prevented by federal officers from rendering medical aid to the gunshot victim.

    • drawb@lemmy.ml
      21·
      4 hours ago

      There is probably not much doubt here. But with AI, which could even improve further (who knows how much), better get used to improved factchecking.

    • atomicbocks@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      40·
      21 hours ago

      AFAIK sworn affidavits would be required for turning over video evidence as well as eyewitness testimony, the article even mentions that one of the witnesses signing an affidavit was one of the recorders.

      • F/15/Cali@threads.net@sh.itjust.works
        10·
        20 hours ago

        You’re correct. I just find the waning period that we live in, where AI is still reasonably apparent, to be interesting. We had nearly indisputable videos of everything for nearly 2 decades, where laws and bureaucracy lagged behind easily verifiable truth. Now, eyewitness reports are again helpful and necessary in the wake of lie machines.