Here in the East the snow has started falling and it is a quiet Sunday morning. But in Minneapolis, it is not quiet. Yesterday afternoon ICE officers shot and killed a man, Alex Pretti, a 37-year old intensive care nurse, after shoving him to the ground as he was recording an ICE action. The videos are horrific.
Several people were recording ICE actions on Nicolett Avenue, so you get to see the incident from several perspectives. One of them popped up on my screen, lasting more than two minutes. The ICE agents pushed another protestor who then reaches out for a man in a brown jacket, linking arms for a moment. The man holding a cell phone is pushed to the ground and about 7 agents wrestle him to the ground.
What could then be seen was the man trying to get up as he is pushed onto the street. You see the agent pull his weapon and point it at the man prostrate on the street. At that point the ICE gent fired three shots. Some protestors keep their cameras on and you can hear them shouting, “Oh, my God!” The agents stand up and his body is in the street. The DHS version is belied by every single video. How many more must die?
Prayer for the Day
Crying out to you, O God, as we see such violence,
Asking what has happened to us as terror reigns;
Why have you not come to our aid, O Lord,
As our government murders with impunity?
Do not be silent but give us hope brutality will end,
Even as we face danger in this time.
In the name of the One who gives us hope,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
Generally you’ve seen the tactics in L.A., Chicago and Minneapolis where they’re not trained, they’re not well led, they are not focused on the way they should be handling a crowd
Gil Kerlikowski, former head of US Customs and Border Protection
I have a strong statement here for the federal government. Minnesota’s justice system will have the last word on this. It must have the last word. As I told the White House in no uncertain terms this morning, the federal government cannot be trusted to lead this investigation.
Governor Tim Walz - Minneapolis police barred after obtaining a judicial warrant
Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry;
Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit.
From you let my vindication come; let our eyes see the right.
Psalm 17:1-2