2 agents who shot Pretti are on leave, Trump official says

By REIS THEBAULT, NICHOLAS BOGEL-BURROUGHS and CHRIS CAMERON

The two federal agents who opened fire on a Veterans Affairs nurse in Minneapolis have been on leave since the shooting, an official with the Department of Homeland Security said for the first time Wednesday.

It was unclear if the department had taken action regarding the other agents involved in the encounter with the nurse, Alex Pretti, including those who had helped restrain him before he was shot and killed by the two agents.

Trump administration officials, who stridently defended the killing and falsely described the actions of Pretti, 37, before he was killed, have not publicly identified the agents who shot him. On Sunday, Gregory Bovino, who was then overseeing President Donald Trump’s Border Patrol operations in the city, told CNN that the agents involved in Pretti’s shooting were still working, had been moved to other cities and were “more than likely be on administrative duty.”

The revelation came as authorities in Minneapolis and the U.S. Capitol Police were investigating an attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat who represents parts of the city and has been a frequent target of criticism from Trump. A man sprayed her with an unknown substance during a public event Tuesday night as she criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.

The attack was the latest reflection of the charged political climate over an aggressive federal immigration crackdown that has prompted an outpouring of anger in Minnesota and beyond.

Trump told ABC News on Tuesday night that he had not seen video footage of the attack on Omar but suggested without evidence that she had staged it. “I don’t think about her. I think she’s a fraud,” he said. “She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her.”

Here’s what we’re covering:

— The assault on Omar: Omar was uninjured, initially moving toward her attacker with her fist raised before he was tackled by security officers. She resumed speaking after a brief pause, saying she would not be intimidated. Minneapolis police identified the suspect as Anthony J. Kazmierczak, 55. He was booked into the local jail on suspicion of assault.

— The Pretti shooting: Stephen Miller, a top aide to Trump, suggested that the agents who killed Pretti after he was restrained and disarmed “may not have been following” protocol. Miller’s statement came after earlier comments in which he and other Trump administration officials portrayed the shooting as justified and Pretti as a would-be assassin.

— Trump’s language: On Tuesday, Trump told Fox News that he might “de-escalate” his campaign against Minnesota and its Democratic leaders. But at a rally a few hours later, he embraced incendiary rhetoric, falsely describing thousands of people arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota as “hardened, vicious, horrible criminals” and anti-ICE demonstrators as “paid insurrectionists.”

— Impeachment calls: Trump briefly sidelined Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, this week after bipartisan backlash over her department’s portrayal of Pretti, only to quickly reaffirm his support and declare her job safe. On Tuesday, the top three House Democratic leaders joined more than 150 congressional Democrats in backing a bid to impeach her.