Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino told CNN this morning that Alex Pretti, a man shot and killed by federal agents yesterday in Minneapolis, put himself in a dangerous situation while carrying a loaded gun. “These situations are chaotic and ever-changing. Follow the directions of law enforcement. Don’t inject yourself knowingly beforehand into a law enforcement situation,” Bovino said. “With respect, it feels as though in some ways you’re blaming the victim here,” CNN’s Bash said. “The victims are the Border Patrol agents,” said Bovino. “The suspect put himself in that situation. The victims are the Border Patrol agents.” “What our officers are faced with here in Minneapolis are chaotic, very difficult and violent situations, in which individuals-and this suspect is not the only one-to bring a loaded weapon to a riot,” Bovino said. “Look at why he was there in the first place,” Bovino said. “Was he simply walking by and just happened to walk into a law enforcement situation and try to direct traffic and stand in the middle of the road and then assault, delay and obstruct law enforcement?” “Or was he there for a reason? Did he fall victim to that violent and heated rhetoric by a Mayor Frey, a Governor Walz?” “They’re trying to portray Border Patrol agents and ICE agents as Gestapo, Nazi and many other words. Did this individual fall victim, as many others have, to that type of heated rhetoric?” “He brought a semiautomatic weapon to a riot, assaulted federal officers, and at some point they saw that weapon. So I do believe the secretary is 100 percent spot on in what she said. Why would you bring a weapon and assault a federal officer if you did not have intent to harm or delay or obstruct that federal officer with a weapon?”

DANA BASH, CNN: Well, you said yesterday that this looks like a situation where the individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement. What evidence do you have that he wanted to massacre law enforcement? Because all the videos that we have — and I do want to — we just have this still shot up now, but I do, control room, want to play one of the other videos. Let’s play video number one again. It doesn’t look anything like he’s trying to massacre law enforcement. In fact, he was filming and then it looked like he was trying to help another individual there who was pushed down by law enforcement, and then they went after him. BORDER APTROL CHIEF BOVINO: In fact, I believe that the fantastic training that our law enforcement partners have, the fact that they’re highly trained prevented any specific shootings of law enforcement. So, good job for our law enforcement in taking him down before he was able to do that. And, again, Dana, let’s look at why he was there in the first place. Was he simply walking by and just happened to walk into a law enforcement situation and try to direct traffic and stand in the middle of the road and then assault, delay and obstruct law enforcement? Or was he there for a reason? Did he fall victim to that violent and heated rhetoric by a Mayor Frey, a Governor Walz? Look, Dana, they’re trying to portray Border Patrol agents and ICE agents as Gestapo, Nazi and many other words. Did this individual fall victim, as many others have, to that type of heated rhetoric? BASH: OK, I want to stay focused on this incident right now, because what you were saying is that he went there to try to stop this law enforcement operation. All of the video that we have seen shows him documenting it with his cell phone, which is a lawful thing to do. And the only time he seemed to interact with law enforcement is when they went after him when he was trying to help an individual who law enforcement pushed down. So where do you have the evidence to show that he was trying to impede that law enforcement operation? BOVINO: Sure. Dana, first he was there in the scene. He was in the scene actively impeding and assaulting law enforcement to the point… BASH: But that’s not illegal. … BASH: Can you also just answer the question about the gun? Because, again, do you have any evidence that he was brandishing his weapon? Did he ever have his hand on the weapon? BOVINO: Yes, again, the officers on the ground, in that melee, we hear “Gun, gun, gun.” So that gun at some point became visible to officers. BASH: But it could it have been because they were — they were — they had him on the ground and maybe his shirt came up and they saw that it was on him? That doesn’t mean that he was… BOVINO: Pure speculation. And that is why we have an investigation. BASH: But — fine. I… BOVINO: That is what we are investigating. BASH: I think… BOVINO: You’re not going to know that now and I’m not going to know that. BASH: I think an investigation is great. But the homeland security secretary said he was brandishing a weapon. Do you have evidence that we haven’t seen that he was brandishing a weapon? BOVINO: He brought a semiautomatic weapon to a riot, assaulted federal officers, and at some point they saw that weapon. So I do believe the secretary is 100 percent spot on in what she said. Why would you bring a weapon and assault a federal officer if you did not have intent to harm or delay or obstruct that federal officer with a weapon?

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