Minneapolis TV reporter pepper‑sprayed while covering protests over Alex Pretti shooting

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: A reporter with a local TV news channel in Minneapolis was pepper-sprayed while covering protests after Border Patrol agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, on Saturday, January 24.

Jana Shortal, a KARE11 reporter, said she was on Nicollet Avenue, the site of Pretti's killing, behind the police line, watching people interact with Border Patrol agents and chant. A video of her reporting has gone viral, in which she described the whole situation. 

She said she was attacked even though she told the federal agents, “Don’t push. I’m press,” after being forcefully pushed and sprayed in the eye.

Reporter pepper-sprayed while covering Minneapolis demonstrations 

KARE 11 reporter Shortal described a tense encounter with law enforcement while covering protests in Minneapolis. She emphasized that she was in the proper position with her press credentials.

“They started to push and move the line. And I started to back up and this one officer just pushed me really hard and I said, ‘Do not push me. I’m press’,” she narrated.

Shortal continued, “And then he did it again and I fell backwards and I said, ‘I’m press.’ And then I felt this burn in my eye. I didn’t see what it was, but I can’t find my glasses.” 

The reporter did not specify if her encounter was with Border Patrol or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. 

Protesters quickly came forward to help her. “These people opened their apartment complex to help, medics came,” she added.

“I mean, there’s a lot of people out here that are trying to help. I know some folks hear these chants, and they say, ‘Everybody’s bad at these protests,’ but it’s not true. They helped me, and they gave me towels and a new shirt.”

Minneapolis shooting raises tensions over ICE enforcement

Federal officials say that during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis shortly before 9:05 AM, a man armed with semi‑automatic handgun approached Border Patrol officers. ICE shared a statement on social media to explain what happened, as per The Wrap.

“At 9:05 AM CT, as DHS law enforcement officers were conducting a targeted operation in Minneapolis against an illegal alien wanted for violent assault, an individual approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi‑automatic handgun, seen here,” the post said.

“The officers attempted to disarm the suspect but the armed suspect violently resisted. More details on the armed struggle are forthcoming. 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.”

Pretti's killing was the second fatal shooting by a federal agent in Minneapolis in the past few weeks, following the death of Renee Nicole Good.