SALT LAKE CITY — Sen. John Curtis is calling for a "transparent, independent" investigation into the shooting death of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis, and also admonished Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem for her comments after the deadly incident.
In a post to social media on Monday, the Utah Republican wrote, "those responsible — no matter their title — must be held accountable."
Curtis added that officials who rush to judgment before the facts are known "undermine public trust and the law-enforcement mission."
In the immediate aftermath of Saturday's incident, Noem claimed Pretti had approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a handgun and that he intended to "inflict maximum damage on individuals and kill law enforcement.” However, video evidence of the shooting appears to dispute the Secretary's version of events.
"I disagree with Secretary Noem’s premature DHS response, which came before all the facts were known and weakened confidence," wrote Curtis.
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Curtis added that he will work with a bipartisan group of his Senate colleagues in an attempt to gain oversight and transparency into Pretti's death, adding that he supports the effort to have operation leaders testify "so trust can be restored and justice served."
The senator's comments came a day after his original post on the shooting, in which he claimed not to have a "full set of facts," and until the facts are known, "we should lead with empathy, restraint, and respect for the rule of law."
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Curtis's Utah counterpart in the U.S. Senate, Mike Lee, has shared multiple social media posts following the incident, including one that said, "We're not defunding ICE. Live with it." All four members of Utah's congressional delegation have remained silent regarding the shooting of the 37-year-old ICU nurse.
As Democratic legislators in Washington call for Noem's impeachment, President Donald Trump announced Monday that he would be sending border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to deal with immigration enforcement.
