According to the family, eyewitness accounts and videos circulating online contradict federal claims that Pretti posed a threat when he was shot. “He had his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down—all while being pepper-sprayed,” the family said in a written statement. “Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man.”

Federal immigration authorities initially reported that the shooting occurred after agents believed Pretti was armed and resisting commands. However, witness statements collected by multiple outlets, along with video footage reviewed by journalists, depict a different sequence of events. In these accounts, Pretti appears to be holding a phone, not a weapon, as he raises his hand in response to a confrontation that escalated quickly after a woman near him was pushed to the ground by agents dispersing a protest. Videos show Pretti stepping toward her in what witnesses describe as an attempt to shield or assist her when officers deployed pepper spray and then used lethal force.

The family’s comments add growing pressure on federal agencies to release unedited body-camera footage and provide a clearer explanation for the shooting. Their statement frames Pretti as an individual who intervened out of concern for another person’s safety, not as an aggressor. The request—“Please tell the truth about our son”—underscores the frustration relatives say they feel as competing narratives circulate publicly, with some officials defending the shooting while local leaders and civil rights groups call for independent oversight and a federal review.

Legal advocates representing the family have pointed to inconsistencies between the government’s initial description of the encounter and the evidence that has since emerged. They argue that the video record raises significant questions about the proportionality of force used and whether the agents involved followed protocol during an operation already under scrutiny for aggressive tactics. Public reaction in Minneapolis and beyond has been strong, with protests calling for transparency, accountability, and a reevaluation of immigration enforcement methods in urban areas.

The Department of Homeland Security has said the incident remains under review, though officials continue to maintain that the agents perceived a threat in the moment. Local officials have expressed concern over the contradictions between federal statements and eyewitness reports, with some urging the release of all available footage to ensure the investigation proceeds with full transparency.

As the inquiry unfolds, the family’s statement marks one of the most personal accounts offered so far. In describing both his actions and his character, they hope to counter what they believe is a harmful misrepresentation of Pretti’s final moments. The conflict between official reporting, witness testimony, and visual evidence has made the case a flashpoint in the broader debate over immigration enforcement, use of force, and public accountability. For now, the family continues to insist that their son acted not out of hostility but out of instinct to protect someone else, asking that the public and investigators give full weight to the recordings and testimonies that challenge the federal narrative.