Two Border Patrol Agents in Alex Pretti Shooting Placed on Administrative Leave

(Adam Gray/AP photo)

Two Border Patrol officers who were involved in the shooting death of Alex Pretti have been placed on administrative leave, according to multiple reports on Wednesday.

Fox News Washington correspondent Bill Melugin reported the news and said it was “part of standard protocol after a shooting.”

The Daily Wire immigration reporter Jennie Taer reported the same thing — and pointed out it contradicted what Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino told her on Sunday, when he said the agents were still working.

Agents on leave typically continue to receive their paychecks.

The Department of Homeland Security said two Border Patrol agents fired shots at Pretti during the fatal fight on Saturday.

A New York Post report on Monday said one agent may have accidentally fired Pretti’s 9mm gun while disarming him — leading other agents to believe they were being shot at and causing them to open fire.

The shooting led to widespread criticism from many Democratic leaders, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D). It also sparked more anti-ICE and anti-Border Patrol protests, which had already been occurring following the shooting death of Renee Good earlier this month.

Bovino told reporters soon after the shooting that Pretti was looking to “massacre” federal agents, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem echoed his comment shortly after when she said Pretti wanted to “kill” officers.

President Donald Trump did not go as far as the two officials, saying on Sunday that his administration was “reviewing everything.” He then shook up his leadership team on Monday by sending border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to lead the crackdown on illegal immigration, while also reportedly ousting Bovino.

Trump fielded questions about the changes while speaking with reporters in Iowa on Tuesday.

“I do that all the time, I shake up teams,” Trump said.

He then said Pretti “shouldn’t have been carrying a gun” and that the shooting was “very unfortunate.”

“I don’t like that he had a gun. I don’t like that he had two fully loaded magazines. That’s a lot of bad stuff,” Trump said. “And despite that, I say that’s a very unfortunate incident.”

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