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Evidence finally shared
Minnesota prosecutors announced Monday that the Trump administration turned over evidence long sought in the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and the wounding of Julio Sosa-Celis during January protests against an immigration enforcement crackdown around Minneapolis.
“MINNEAPOLIS -- The Trump administration has turned over evidence long sought by Minnesota investigators in their ongoing probe into the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti during pitched protests against an immigration enforcement crackdown earlier this year, state prosecutors announced Monday”
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said the state obtained “hard drives of previously withheld evidence” after “six months of relentless collective effort,” and she added that prosecutors also received some physical evidence that was “previously withheld,” including Good’s “badly damaged SUV.”
ABC7 New York reported that the evidence transfer included “previously withheld hard drives containing statements, police body camera video and other materials,” and that Moriarty said, “The wonderful thing now is we have all the evidence.”
The Guardian said Moriarty’s video statement described the newly obtained material as “hard drives of previously withheld evidence in the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti,” along with Good’s car and police body-camera video, and it said the state immediately began analyzing it in the context of evidence already in hand.
Trust and accountability
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said the delay “should never have taken this long,” and he told reporters he was “deeply troubled” that the federal government spent more than half a year attempting to conceal evidence from state investigators.
Common Dreams quoted Ellison’s statement that “I remain deeply troubled that the federal government spent more than half a year attempting to conceal this evidence from state investigators,” and it reported that Ellison hoped it was “the beginning of a major course correction.”
ABC7 New York said Moriarty framed the handover as a need for a “full and thorough investigation,” and it quoted her: “Any time the government is responsible in whatever way of taking the life of a community member we need to have a full and thorough investigation.”
The Guardian added that Moriarty said, “Our democracy requires it,” and it reported that she said the evidence had been a priority “since January 7, the day Renée Good was shot and killed,” and that it had been “rightfully demanded by our community for six months.”
What comes next
The evidence handover came as Minnesota prosecutors continued their investigations into the killings of Good and Pretti, while the federal government had previously rejected demands for cooperation and access to evidence and witness interviews.
“Alex Pretti was shot and killed by U”
Common Dreams reported that federal investigators had withheld items including Pretti’s gun, cellphone, and body camera footage, and it said Minnesota sued the Trump administration in March over the refusal to cooperate, with the litigation still ongoing as of Monday.
ABC7 New York said prosecutors in Houston complained the administration was still withholding critical information in their investigation into a fatal shooting by an ICE officer last week, and it noted that no one had been charged in connection with the deaths of Good and Pretti.
The Guardian said Moriarty’s office was still analyzing the newly received material and that the state had earlier demanded an “impartial” investigation into the shootings, while it also reported that the federal officer who shot Sosa-Celis was charged with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime in May.
