MIAMI — The situation remains tense in Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal Border Patrol agents over the weekend.
Retired Assistant Chief Craig McQueen spent 36 years with the Miami Police Department, leading high profile events and training playbooks for deadly force and non-lethal force.
He spoke with Local 10’s Terrell Forney Monday about what his expertise revealed as he watched the video frame by frame.
“I’m trying to figure out what did he do to deserve that,” McQueen said. “You and I saw a young lady get pushed to the ground. Whether it’s police or whatever, we’re gonna go and try to help that young lady up. Does that mean that we should be hit with pepper spray at that point? No. I think the tactics are way too high.”
At some point, the agents retrieved a gun from what’s believed to be Pretti’s waistband as he was being held down with a phone in his other hand.
“So you think about it, you have all of this yellow stuff on your face and now you can’t breathe or can’t see,” said McQueen. “So your natural reaction is to turn and try to get to a point away from it.”
But one of those agents then drew his firearm and fired 10 total shots, appearing to startle a few of the other agents.
It appears five of those shots happened while Pretti was motionless on the ground.
“There’s nothing clear that I’ve seen in all the years dealing with deadly force and all the knowledge that I have with deadly force where this man had committed an act to justify deadly force,” McQueen said.
*Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that Pretti was fatally shot by ICE agents. The story has been corrected to reflect that Pretti was actually shot and killed by Border Patrol agents.
Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
