Minneapolis Rioter Bites DHS Officer, Leaves Finger Missing

A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officer’s finger was bitten off by a rioter in Minneapolis on Saturday, according to DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

“In Minneapolis, these rioters attacked our law enforcement officer and one of them bit off our HSI officer’s finger,” she wrote on social media. “He will lose his finger.”

McLaughlin spoke amid escalating unrest following the federal agents’ shooting of an armed agitator.

Jeffrey Pretti, 37, a Veterans Affairs intensive care nurse who cared deeply about people, was reportedly upset by President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in his city. Pretti had participated in protests after the killing of Renee Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent earlier this month.

“Two weeks ago or so, we had this discussion with him that go ahead and protest, but do not engage, do not do anything stupid,” said Michael Pretti, Alex’s father, to reporters. “And he said he knows that.”

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Pretti was shot after approaching U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. Officials did not specify whether Pretti brandished the gun, and it is not visible in bystander video obtained by news outlets.

Family members stated Pretti owned a handgun and had a permit to carry a concealed weapon in Minnesota but said he had never carried it.