Of Course That Video of Alex Pretti Kicking a Cop Car Matters

"Minneapolis isn't just a tragic spectacle, it's a mirror. On Wednesday, footage from Jan. 13 of an altercation involving Alex Pretti was published by The News Movement. It depicts Pretti berating federal agents (it sounds like he's screaming, f*cking trash!) and spitting at their feet. After the agents climb into their SUV and begin to drive away, Pretti repeatedly kicks the vehicle, eventually breaking their taillight."

"For those on the Right determined to justify the events of Jan. 24, when Pretti was shot dead by Border Patrol agents during an altercation in which he appeared much less confrontational and criminally liable the footage was beheld as an answer to their prayers. And for those on the Left who fetishize the disorderly, destructive behavior exemplified by Pretti, it was something to be handwaved away: an irrelevant, even disgusting, smear of a dead man."

"Pretti's inexcusable actions on the 13th — though they could and arguably should have resulted in his arrest — didn't come anywhere close to warranting the use of lethal force. To cite them as a justification for his death a week-and-a-half later at what appeared to be a much less charged moment (bear in mind that an investigation into the shooting may turn up more relevant information) is an intellectual as well as a moral error."

Footage from Jan. 13 shows Alex Pretti berating federal agents, spitting at their feet, and repeatedly kicking an agents' SUV until a taillight broke. On Jan. 24, Border Patrol agents shot and killed Pretti during an altercation in which he appeared less confrontational. Right-wing observers used the Jan. 13 footage to justify the later shooting, while left-wing defenders dismissed the footage as a smear. Pretti's Jan. 13 conduct could have warranted arrest but did not justify lethal force a week and a half later. Citizens retain the right to make even egregious mistakes without forfeiting their lives. Responsibility for street violence extends beyond a single administration to political actors and media coverage.

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