U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem tussled with Fox News reporter Peter Doocy over the latest shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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During an interview at FEMA’s National Response Coordination Center, Noem took questions ranging from the massive winter storm blanketing the country to the shooting death of protester Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
Noem said on “The Sunday Briefing” that Pretti wanted to “kill law enforcement” officers and that agents “fired defensive shots” to protect themselves after Border Patrol officers shot and killed Pretti on Saturday.
A video that went viral showed no proof that Pretti was “brandishing” a weapon, as Noem said, before he was shot several times.
Below is a transcript of the exchange:
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NOEM: “And then when the fraud was uncovered as well, we saw a resistance in Minneapolis like we haven’t seen anywhere else in this country. In fact, encouraged by the governor at press conferences to go out and take to the streets and to resist law enforcement. It really is irresponsibility that we haven’t seen out of someone in any other state.”
DOOCY: “So, Insurrection Act, on the table?”
NOEM: “It’s up to the president. He has the constitutional right to do that. He certainly has considered it. We’ve had discussions. We’ll see what the best choice is to make sure that law and order is followed, but also that we’re keeping people safe.”
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DOOCY: “And it is early, we know, in this investigation into the shooting death of Alex Pretti, but I want to have you walk our audience through what you know. So, you said last night, ‘It looks like a situation where an individual arrived on the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement.’ Did he say, ‘I’m going to kill you,’ or did he leave a note? How do you know that was his intent?”
NOEM: “You know, part of this investigation, we’ll be hearing from those agents and officers and people on the ground. But we do know that he came to that scene and impeded a law enforcement operation, which is against federal law. It’s a felony. When he did that interacting with those agents when they tried to get him to disengage, he became aggressive and resisted them throughout that process. These officers used their training, followed their protocols and were in fear of their lives and the people around them. And that’s how this tragedy unfolded, and we hope we never see it again. It grieves me to think about what his family is going through, but it also grieves me what’s happening to these law enforcement officers every day out on streets with the violence that they face.”
DOOCY: “Because you mentioned the family, they have of a statement out now where they say they’re angry and that Alex was just trying to protect a woman who was pushed down by ICE and pepper-sprayed. But they also talked to the Associated Press and they said, ‘We had this discussion with him two weeks ago or so. You know, go ahead and protest, but do not engage, do not do anything stupid, basically.’ So what is your message this morning to Alex Pretti’s parents?”
NOEM: “Just that I’m grieved for them. I truly am. I can’t even imagine losing a child. And I can’t imagine a tragic situation — we can’t have individuals that are impeding law enforcement operations and then showing up with guns and weapons and no I.D. and confronting law enforcement like that. It is one of the reasons that we see situations like this unfold. I think we — everybody can learn from this situation. I’m grateful for law enforcement that put their lives on the line every day to go out there on the streets and try to bring criminals to justice and protect the public, and we’ll continue to make sure the right thing is done, this investigation is completed, and that we continue to go forward and we enforce the law and apply it equally to everybody in the country.”
DOOCY: “What is the line? Where does it go from peaceful protest, ‘I have a first amount right to do that,’ to ‘I’m going to get arrested protesting.’ to ‘I’m going to get shot to death?’”
NOEM: “We have clearly, from the very beginning, followed the exact same process and protocols that have been implemented this entire administration and that the previous administration followed and has gone on in law enforcement interactions for years. It is — you cannot impede a law enforcement investigation and operation. When an officer tells you to back off and gives you orders, you should comply and explain. You shouldn’t show up with weapons that — no I.D. and no indication of how they’re going to be used. That aggressive interaction, laying hands on law enforcement officers clearly is a crime and it is something that should not be acceptable.”
DOOCY: “Because you mentioned the protocol, there is an angle of video that we’ve been playing all morning where it shows an officer removing a weapon either from Alex Pretti’s waistband or a holster, and he walks away with the weapon before officers start shooting. It appears that Alex Pretti was disarmed. If he was disarmed, is it the protocol to use deadly force?”
NOEM: “And that’s all part of this investigation. Every video will be analyzed. Everything will be looked at. And that’s part of the answer is that I can’t speak to every single thing that those officers thought. But this happened in seconds. They clearly feared for their lives and took action to defend themselves and the people around them. If you watch that and you listen to those videos, you can hear someone yelling ‘Gun, gun, gun,’ and those agents and officers reacted to that. So, as this investigation goes forward, all of that will be analyzed.”
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