Minnesota Says Washington Cut Off Evidence in Two Fatal Shootings

Minnesota Says Washington Cut Off Evidence in Two Fatal Shootings

State Filings Say Cooperation Has Stopped Again

Minnesota authorities say the federal government has stopped sharing evidence in the investigations of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were fatally shot by federal officers in Minneapolis during a large immigration enforcement operation. In court papers filed this week, officials said state investigators have not received key remaining materials and cannot complete an independent review of whether the shootings involved crimes.

Missing Items Listed, Jurisdiction Disputed

Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said in a declaration that federal authorities still hold Good's clothing, the cell phone of the officer who killed her, and interview recordings. He said the state also has not received a recorded statement from an officer who shot Pretti, the officers' firearms and phones, projectiles and casings, and a gun taken from Pretti before he was shot. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty previously said the state expected to receive all the evidence. The Trump administration has argued that state prosecutors lack jurisdiction over federal officers.

A Lawsuit, Then a Brief Thaw Over the Summer

State investigators were initially excluded from a joint inquiry into the federal uses of force, a break from normal practice. Minnesota sued the administration in March for materials needed for its own investigation. After about three weeks of talks starting in late June, the U.S. Attorney's office in Minnesota and the state bureau reached an evidence-sharing arrangement. Federal authorities turned over Good's vehicle, the gun used to shoot her, body-worn camera footage from the shootings, officer statements, and hard drives with testimony. State investigators also shared evidence they had gathered from other sources.

Two Deaths and a Third Shooting in One Operation

Good, 37, was shot and killed in her car in Minneapolis on Jan. 7 by an ICE agent. Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was shot and killed by federal immigration agents on Jan. 24. A Venezuelan national, Julio Sosa-Celis, was shot in the leg by a federal immigration agent on Jan. 14; federal prosecutors charged him with assaulting the agent and dropped the case in February. All three shootings occurred during Operation Metro Surge in the Twin Cities. The deaths of Good and Pretti set off nationwide protests against the immigration crackdown.

A Judge Is Asked to Order Disclosure

Minnesota has asked a judge to order the Justice Department to turn over the remaining evidence. The immediate question is whether the court will compel disclosure and whether the brief cooperation of the summer can resume. Without the withheld phones, weapons, recordings, and statements, state officials say, their criminal review cannot move forward.