Videos showing the fatal shooting of Alex Peretti in Minneapolis contradict statements from the Trump administration

Leaders of law enforcement organizations expressed alarm Sunday over the latest fatal shooting by federal officers in Minneapolis, while use-of-force experts criticized the Trump administration’s justification for the killing, saying bystander footage contradicted its account of what prompted it.

The federal government has also faced criticism for the US Justice Department’s failure to conduct a civil rights investigation and its efforts to prevent Minnesota authorities from conducting their own review into the killing of 37-year-old Alex Peretti.

Read more: A judge will hear arguments on Trump’s anti-immigration campaign in Minnesota after the deadly shooting

In an effort to ease tensions, the International Association of Chiefs of Police called on the White House to hold discussions “as soon as possible” between federal, state and local law enforcement.

“Every police chief in the country is watching Minneapolis very carefully,” said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a police research and policy organization. “If a police chief has three officer-involved shootings in three weeks, he’s going to step back and ask, ‘What does our training look like? What does our policy look like?'”

Pretty’s death followed the fatal shooting of Rene Judd on January 7 and another incident a week later in Minneapolis when a federal officer shot a man in the leg after attacking him with a shovel and broom handle while trying to arrest a Venezuelan who was in the country illegally.

“We are dealing with a federal agency here,” Wexler said, referring to the Department of Homeland Security, “but its actions could have a ripple effect across the country.”

Experts say video of the shooting undermines federal claims

While questions remain about the latest standoff, use-of-force experts told The Associated Press that a bystander video undermines federal authorities’ claim that Pretty “approached” a group of lawmen with a firearm and that the Border Patrol officer opened fire “defensively.” They said no evidence has been made public to support the claim of Greg Bovino, a senior Border Patrol official, that Peretti, who had a permit to carry a concealed handgun, intended to “massacre law enforcement.”

“The lack of criticism of other law enforcement agencies is very ingrained in the culture of American policing,” said Seth Stoughton, a former police officer and use-of-force expert who testified for prosecutors in the trial of the Minneapolis officer convicted of killing George Floyd.

Read more: The man shot and killed by federal officers in Minnesota was an intensive care unit nurse, his parents said

“But behind the scenes, there is nothing but professional disdain for the way DHS is handling the aftermath of these events,” Stoughton said.

Many government officials had basically condemned Preeti on social media before processing the crime scene.

White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller sparked outrage by calling Peretti a “potential killer” in a post, while Los Angeles’ top federal prosecutor, Bill Isailey, drew the wrath of the National Rifle Association for posting that “if you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a strong possibility they will be legally justified in shooting you.”

“In a country with more guns than people, the mere possession of a gun does not pose an imminent threat to officers — and neither does possession of a gun and approaching officers,” Stoughton said. “I don’t think there’s any evidence to confirm the official story at all. It’s not illegal for someone to carry a gun in Minnesota.”

A Minnesota state official says state investigators have been barred from the scene of the shooting

In the hours after Pretty was shot, Minnesota authorities obtained a search warrant allowing them access to the scene of the shooting. Drew Evans, a supervisor with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said his team was denied entry to the scene.

Minnesota authorities also received an emergency court order from a federal judge barring officials from “destroying or altering evidence related to the fatal shooting involving federal officers.”

Bovino struck a softer tone at a news conference on Sunday, calling Pretty’s shooting a “preventable tragedy” even as he urged people not to “interfere, obstruct, delay or assault law enforcement.” He declined to comment on what he called the “freeze frame concept,” referring to videos circulating on social media that raise doubts about the risks Pretty poses to officers.

“That’s why we do something called an investigation,” Bovino said. “I wasn’t there wrestling with him myself. So I’m not going to speculate. I’ll wait for that investigation.”

Police experts said irregularities in the federal response went beyond the government’s immediate defense. Before Pretty’s parents were notified of his death, the Department of Homeland Security posted a photo on

“The suspect also had two magazines and did not have identification,” the post read. “This appears to be a situation where the individual wanted to cause as much damage as possible.”

However, the photo showed only one filled magazine next to the gun, which appeared to have been emptied and displayed on the car seat. Minnesota officials said that by removing the weapon from the scene, Border Patrol agents likely mishandled key evidence.

The videos show Preity holding a mobile phone

None of the six bystander videos show Pretty waving his gun. Instead, the videos showed that Preeti’s hands were only holding his cellphone when a masked Border Patrol officer opened fire.

In videos of the fight, the phrase “gun, gun” is heard, and an officer is seen pulling a gun from Pretty’s waist area and beginning to walk away. When this happens, the Border Patrol officer fires the first shot. There is a slight pause, and then the same officer shoots Pretty several times in the back.

Several use-of-force experts said unenhanced videos alone would not exonerate or support the prosecution of officers, underscoring the need for a thorough investigation. The video from the phone Pretty was carrying when he was killed is likely one of the key pieces of evidence. Federal officials have not yet released that footage or shared it with state investigators.

“Assessing the plausibility of this shooting will depend entirely on when the gun became visible and how it was displayed or used, if at all,” said Charles “Joe” Key, a former police lieutenant and longtime use-of-force expert.

Ian Adams, an assistant professor of criminal justice at the University of South Carolina, called the federal government’s response “amateur hour.”

“Jumping to the final conclusion of this investigation, or what is supposed to be an investigation, is somewhat embarrassing for police professionals across the country,” Adams said. “It’s clear that police professionals are watching what’s going on and they don’t like what they see.”

Associated Press reporter Hannah Fingerhut contributed reporting in Des Moines, Iowa.