BREAKING: Armed agitator Alex Pretti appeared to want 'maximum damage' and to 'massacre' law enforcement when shot by BP in Minnesota: Greg Bovino

Border Patrol head Greg Bovino said that deceased anti-ICE agitator Alex Pretti was armed as if to want to inflict "maximum damage and massacre law enforcement" before he was shot by Border Patrol agents on Saturday.  

Bovino, who said the agency was involved in an operation to target a criminal illegal immigrant, told reporters in a press conference, "DHS law enforcement officers were conducting a targeted operation in Minneapolis against an illegal alien, Jose Huerta Chuma. You can see this illegal alien on the screen to my left and right. That is Jose Huerta Chuma, whose criminal history includes domestic assault to intentionally inflict bodily harm, disorderly conduct, and driving without a valid license."

"During this operation, an individual approached US Border Patrol agents with a nine-millimeter semi-automatic handgun. The agents attempted to disarm the individual, but he violently resisted. Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, a Border Patrol agent fired defensive shots. Medics on the scene immediately delivered medical aid to the subject, but the subject was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect also had two loaded magazines and no accessible ID. This looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement."

He went on to add that the agent who shot the suspect has been in the Border Patrol for eight years. "About 200 rioters arrived at the scene and began to obstruct and assault law enforcement. Crowd control measures have been deployed for the safety of the public and law enforcement. This situation is evolving, and more information is forthcoming. The officer was highly trained and had been serving as a border patrol agent for eight years," he added. 

Pretti was shot and killed by a Border Patrol officer on Saturday morning. Authorities said that he was armed with pistol as well as two magazines. Video of the shooting recorded officers saying that Pretti had a gun on him as he was being wrestled to the ground. 

Leading up to the shooting, anti-ICE agitators were seen impeding an operation that was taking place in the area. Since the shooting, riots have ensued, with law enforcement making multiple arrests and deploying crowd control munitions.  

The Minnesota National Guard has been activated since the shooting took place. "Due to the potential for continuing and growing conflict related to today’s federal agent-involved shooting, Sheriff Dawanna Witt has requested assistance from the Minnesota National Guard to support our deputies at the Whipple Federal Building so that we can reallocate deputies to other areas in need of support in the county. Their job will be to assist the Sheriff’s Office in protecting life, preserving property, and helping to ensure the safety of all community members," a statement from the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office read.