"Felt Moral Obligation": Doctor Who Tried To Help US Man Shot By ICE Agents

A doctor who lived near the scene where a 37-year-old man, Alex Pretti, was shot dead by immigration agents in Minneapolis last week, had tried to help revive him - but the officials had initially hesitated in letting him do so, a court filing seen by the New York Times said.

The doctor - a pediatrician - whose identity has not been disclosed, recalled the horrific incident that he witnessed from his apartment, and said the officials "shoved" Pretti to the ground and then shot him several times. Shortly after, he went outside and told one of the officials that he was a physician and wanted to check on the person who had been shot, the court filing said.

According to the doctor, he felt a "professional and moral obligation" to help Pretti, but when he tried to approach and render aid, the immigration agents initially hesitated and asked him for proof of a medical license. However, they eventually let him check on Pretti after being patted down.

"Normally, I would not have been so persistent, but as a physician, I felt a professional and moral obligation to help this man, especially since none of the agents were helping him," the doctor reportedly said in his statement.

He also described checking for a pulse on Pretti. When he found none, he began a CPR. Seconds later, emergency medical personnel arrived and took over, he said.

"I was sobbing and shaking uncontrollably," the doctor reportedly said.

He further mentioned that when the protests over the incident began, he left his apartment and went to a friend's house. "I am not sure when I will return to my apartment. I do not feel safe in my city," he said.

A chilling video showed officers swarming Pretti, a US citizen who worked as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Centre, and wrestling him to the ground. One immigration officer then appeared to seize Pretti's gun and fired more than a dozen shots at him, killing him on the spot. The gunfire prompted screams from the woman recording the scene, who could be heard shouting, "What the f*** did you do?!"

Pretti is seen lying motionless as officers backed away, some still pointing their guns at him, before slowly moving closer.

Another video, with a different angle, shows Pretti holding his phone while trying to help a woman who had been pushed to the ground by an immigration officer. The officer can be seen spraying both with tear gas, and a group of federal agents then pulling Pretti away from the woman and pushing him down. He struggles on his hands and knees before an agent in a gray jacket appears to seize his gun and shoot him dead.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, the ICE agents fired in "self-defence" when Pretti "violently resisted" officers who tried to snatch a handgun from him. However, Pretti's family denied the claim, saying he was "trying to protect a woman near the agents".