A Minnesota state representative is speaking out after Alex Pretti was killed by federal agents. Rep. Elliot Engen appeared on CNN on Wednesday to share his reaction to the tragic event. He had some strong words for Governor Tim Walz, saying the whole situation didn’t have to happen.
According to Engen, the state is now dealing with chaos that could have been stopped before it started.
The main issue, Engen explained, is about a list of names. He calls it a “detainer list.”
Engen claims there are about 1,600 people on this list who he describes as very dangerous criminals. He told the network that Governor Walz refused to give this list to federal authorities.
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Because the list wasn’t shared, federal agents had to go in themselves to find these people. Engen believes this decision by the governor directly led to the current unrest and the death of Pretti.
During the interview, the reporter asked Engen about what Pretti was doing when he died. The reporter mentioned that Pretti seemed to just be holding a cell phone and filming the officers.
Engen saw it differently. He mentioned that days before the shooting, Pretti had kicked out a taillight and was trying to make things tense with the police. He insisted that while people have a right to protest, getting in the way of police work is different. RELATED: Minneapolis Mayor: 11-Day-Old Video Doesn’t Justify Pretti Shooting
Engen expressed deep frustration with the state of emergency in Minnesota. He feels that the leaders knew their actions would cause trouble.
“We could have avoided that altogether,” he said.
For Engen, the refusal to hand over the list of 1,600 names was the spark that set off the destruction and calamity the state is seeing now. He argues that if the governor had just cooperated, federal agents wouldn’t have needed to take such drastic steps from the start.
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