Agents conducting immigration enforcement activities in Minnesota must wear body cameras under a new order from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Secretary Noem announced on Monday that all federal agents deployed in Minnesota would receive body cameras, following scrutiny over recent clashes with protesters. She said the department would issue more cameras once funding is approved.
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“As funding is available, the body camera program will be expanded nationwide,” she wrote in a social media post. “We will rapidly acquire and deploy body cameras to DHS law enforcement across the country.”
The change aligns with one of many demands from congressional Democrats in the wake of two officer-involved shootings, one of which being Alex Pretti.
A medical examiner on Monday ruled Pretti’s death as a homicide. Federal agents in Minnesota killed Pretti on Jan. 24 during a protest.
Hennepin County medical examiner Dr. Andrew Baker posted his report stating Pretti died in the hospital after suffering from multiple gunshots from federal agents. The report stated that the manner of death was homicide and listed where the shooting happened.
It’s important to note that a homicide does not automatically mean murder. Homicide only means the killing of one person by another, including justified and unjustified killings.
What happened during the shooting?
Video of the shooting showed Pretti recording federal agents before attempting to help up a woman one of the agents had pushed over. Agents then surround him and tackle him to the ground.
While he is on the ground, agents disarm Pretti, who was carrying a legally concealed handgun in a waste holster. Two agents then fire several shots into Pretti, killing him.
While initial reactions by some federal officials sought to blame Pretti, White House officials later condemned the shooting and opened investigations into it. The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI are leading the investigation. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche also said that the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division is investigating the shooting alongside the DHS and FBI.
Shooting’s influence on shutdown
Democrats in Congress have overwhelmingly condemned the shooting, with a partial government shutdown happening over funding for DHS.
Democratic lawmakers have said they won’t support any further funding for DHS unless it also includes new protocols for immigration enforcement. Some proposed changes include prohibiting federal agents from wearing masks, requiring agents to wear body cameras, and requiring a judicial warrant to enter a home.
