Minnesota authorities say the federal government has halted the transfer of evidence related to the shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal officers, hindering the state’s independent investigation into the incidents. The killings, which occurred during immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis earlier this year, have drawn significant public attention and legal scrutiny.
State officials sued the Trump administration in March seeking access to investigative materials they argue are essential for a thorough review of the shootings. These killings occurred amid President Donald Trump’s intensified immigration enforcement efforts in Minneapolis. Minnesota prosecutors have expressed concern over the federal government’s willingness to conduct an impartial inquiry into the actions of its officers.
In July, state prosecutors announced that the federal government had begun to deliver evidence, including police body camera footage and hard drives containing witness statements. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty stated at that time the expectation to receive complete evidence from federal agencies. However, court filings submitted in October revealed that evidence sharing stopped shortly after the initial transfer.
According to Moriarty, the U.S. attorney’s office informed her on September 10 that the provision of evidence would be paused indefinitely “in light of challenges with D.C.”, referencing unspecified difficulties with federal authorities. State prosecutors have since requested a judge to compel federal agencies to resume the handover of materials, arguing there is no legal justification for obstructing the state’s criminal investigations.
In response, attorneys for the Justice Department cited departmental regulations, commonly referred to as the Touhy rules, which govern disclosure of information to outside entities. They argued that because no formal legal proceeding was underway at the time of Minnesota’s requests, the department had the discretion to withhold the evidence.
Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, stated in a legal declaration that federal officials are still in possession of key items sought by state investigators, including Renee Good’s clothing, the cellphone of the officer who fatally shot her, and recordings of interviews not shared with Minnesota authorities. Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on January 7 while leaving a protest in Minneapolis. Video footage shows Good seated in the driver’s seat of an SUV, repeatedly honking the horn as masked immigration officers ordered her to exit the vehicle. After she began to pull forward, one officer fired at her windshield and then twice more at the driver’s side window. Federal authorities have maintained the officer acted in self-defense.
Alex Pretti, also 37, was killed weeks later by a federal officer in Minneapolis during a separate incident. Pretti, an intensive care nurse, was fatally shot despite efforts to disarm him, according to officials. The deaths of Good and Pretti sparked widespread protests condemning the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics. To date, no criminal charges have been filed in connection with either shooting.
Evans also noted that federal authorities have not released a recorded statement from the officer who shot Pretti, nor have they shared firearms used by the officers, their phones, projectiles, shell casings, or a gun taken from Pretti before he was shot. The ongoing dispute over evidence sharing has prolonged attempts to fully understand the circumstances surrounding these fatal incidents.