By D. Kevin McNeir
Special to the AFRO
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, in an exclusive interview on Jan. 25 with AFRO News, said while he could not presume the innocence or guilt of ICE agents involved in the recent deaths of Alex Pretti and Renée Good, both in Minneapolis, but he did have one strong assertion:
“These deaths must be investigated, and we must get to the truth.”
Ellison was clearly enraged over the three federal officer-involved that occurred in Minnesota this month – two that resulted in the deaths of Pretti, 37, on Saturday, Jan. 24 by federal agents that have not been identified, and Good, 37, on Jan. 7, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Jonathan Ross.
“Given what I’ve seen in the tape of Pretti’s death, while I am not saying what a jury would say, I can say I am deeply disturbed,” Ellison told the AFRO. “The tape shows he never pulled out his gun, that the agents pulled it off his person, disarming him, and then shot him.”
Eyewitness videos of both the Good and Pretti killings run counter to statements provided by federal administration officials, including the White House. But as the Trump Administration continues to cast blame on both local officials, even castigating the victims and their families, tempers and backlash from Minnesota officials and Americans nationwide continue to flare.
“Our investigating agents will pursue the truth, find out what happened to Pretti, and will file charges if appropriate. In Minnesota, it’s still unlawful to cause the death of another person intentionally without any justification, like self-defense or in defense of others,” Ellison said. “If it’s determined that the officer acted reasonably, that would be grounds for defense, but it’s illegal to cause death with intention and deliberation. If we prove that, then they can and will stand before their peers in court.”
Ellison said it’s important for citizens to understand that just because Americans have certain rights as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, it does not mean that bad things don’t happen.
“Having rights like those covered by the amendments don’t protect us from bad things occurring, but it does mean we can seek remedies in court,” Ellison said. “Every authoritarian government has violated its peoples’ rights. Once they gain control of the legal system, they can prohibit peoples’ abilities to use the system and vindicate their rights.”
“That’s what we’re seeing under the current president,” Ellison continued. “It’s Trump’s law versus American law and if you’re not on his side, it seems he doesn’t care. Just as it was during the days of legalized slavery, there is no risk-free way to secure your rights. Only the courageous can count on their rights being guaranteed because they’re the only ones who are willing to fight for them.”
Ellison pointed to the Civil Rights Movement for examples of the sacrifices made by the courageous people involved.
“Dr. King was arrested more than 30 times, his family was threatened, he was stabbed and eventually was murdered. But he was willing to risk his life,” he said. “I always inform protesters that if their personal safety is the most important thing to them, they should not protest.”
