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National Nurses United march for VA ICU Nurse Alex Prettii
Nurses from across the nation marched Tuesday in Oakland to remember VA ICU nurse Alex Pretti, who was killed by Border Patrol officers Saturday. They rallied outside the Alameda County Board meeting in support of ICE-free zones and calling for accountability.
OAKLAND, Calif. -
A crowd of nurses from across the nation on Tuesday marched in memory of Alex Pretti, moving through the streets of Oakland chanting and carrying signs.
The death of Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse at a VA facility in Minnesota, has sparked nationwide protests and vigils.
People outraged by the cell phone videos showing his fatal shooting by federal immigration officers on Saturday as he observed ICE action with his cell phone, are speaking out after the Trump administration's Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and President Trump himself initially sought to blame Pretti for his own death.
"I'm an ICU nurse as well for the VA so I understand what Alex was doing and he was just helping somebody," said Justin Wooden, an ICU Nurse at a VA facility in Florida and member of the National Nurses United Organizing Committee.
Wooden flew to the Bay Area to join nurses for a series of meetings at the National Nurses United headquarters and a march through Oakland.
DHS says two federal officers fired shots
The Department Of Homeland Security told Congress on Tuesday, that two border patrol officers opened fire on Pretti.
Witnesses cell phone video and testimony, however, show that at no time did Pretti threaten the officers or brandish the gun he had with a legal concealed carry permit.
Instead, he had been trying to help a woman who was shoved to the ground by a border officer. About eight officers later surrounded him. One can be seen removing what appears to be Pretti's gun, before another officer pulls out his firearm and shoots Pretti, who is crouched on the ground.
Impact on family and medical community
A physician at the scene described in written testimony submitted to federal court, that federal agents wouldn't let her through to provide first aid. She said "none of the ICE agents who were near the victim were performing CPR."
She said Pretti had "at least three bullet wounds in his back" and an additional gunshot wound on his upper left chest, and another possible wound in his neck.
Pretti's father and neighbors say he was a kind person who loved the outdoors and mountain biking. He was a graduate of the University of Minnesota. They say he always tried to help others and died trying to do that.
"He cared about people deeply, and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States with ICE," Alex's father, Michael Pretti said.
"He was a gentle person and he was kind, and he loved his dog, and he was always smiles," Jeanne Wiener, Pretti's neighbor, told KMSP Fox 9.
"The majority of people who went into nursing did it because you want to help people. And whether you're being on the clock being paid to help people at the bedside or just out in the community, that's what we do. That's the type of people we are," Wooden said.
Nurses and community members are speaking out to make sure there is justice, and that Pretti's life and his death are not forgotten.
"All of these people coming forward and showing solidarity and showing that his life meant something. It's very touching," Wooden said.
Vigils were held at San Francisco's VA hospital and at a VA facility in Santa Rosa on Tuesday.