Minnesota prosecutors have secured long-withheld evidence, including police body camera footage and hard drives, related to the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. The breakthrough follows months of litigation by state officials against federal agencies, which had previously refused to share investigative materials from the federal “Operation Metro Surge” crackdown.
Evidence Transfer Follows Months of Legal Pressure
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced on Monday that federal prosecutors have turned over critical materials previously denied to state investigators. The handover includes hard drives containing statements, police body camera video, and other evidence in the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, as well as the nonfatal shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. Additionally, the state has now taken custody of the SUV driven by Good at the time of her death, which had been held by federal authorities for over six months, according to AP News.
The release of this evidence marks a significant shift in a standoff between Minnesota officials and the federal government. For months, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and local prosecutors argued that federal agencies were improperly withholding information. The friction intensified in June, when Moriarty and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison amended a lawsuit against the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security to specifically detail the lack of cooperation.
“It should never have taken this long for Minnesota law enforcement to gain access to the federal government’s evidence surrounding the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis. My aim has always been to ensure justice is done, and this evidence-sharing is a positive development in that essential work.”
Keith Ellison, Minnesota Attorney General, via FOX 9
Reciprocal Exchange in the Christian Castro Case
Background of the Fatal Shootings
The events in question occurred during “Operation Metro Surge,” a high-profile immigration enforcement campaign that operated in Minnesota earlier this year. Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was killed on January 7 while leaving a protest. Weeks later, on January 24, Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was fatally shot by federal agents at the intersection of 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue, as detailed by NBC News.
Despite the high death toll, no federal officers have been charged in connection with the deaths of Good or Pretti. Federal authorities had previously suggested that state prosecutors lacked the jurisdiction to investigate the actions of federal agents. The transfer of evidence is now being viewed by the families of the victims as a necessary component for potential accountability.
“This analysis is ongoing. It will be thorough, fair, and complete. We are committed to seeing this through, to making a decision and being transparent about it no matter where the evidence takes us.”
Mary Moriarty, Hennepin County Attorney, via FOX 9
Next Steps for State Investigators
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has taken custody of the materials, though officials declined to comment on the specific contents of the hard drives or the condition of the vehicle. While the office of the U.S. Attorney for Minnesota, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday, the release of the files marks the end of a six-month period of information concealment that had drawn sharp criticism from state leadership.
As investigators review the body camera footage and statements, the central question remains whether the evidence will lead to criminal charges against the federal agents involved in the deaths of Good and Pretti. For now, the focus remains on completing a review that officials describe as a necessary step for community transparency and the rule of law.
Find more reporting in our News section.
Keep reading
