The death of Alex Pretti at the hands of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents has sparked widespread controversy and raised numerous questions about the events that led to the tragic incident.
At the center of this is a pivotal moment during the confrontation, one that has left many wondering about Pretti's intentions just before he was shot.
A key voice in the ongoing analysis is Derek Van Schaik, a forensic neuropsychologist, who has offered an insightful breakdown of the events leading to Pretti’s death.
Through his expertise, Van Schaik suggests that what appeared to be a moment of aggression on Pretti's part might actually have been a desperate defensive reaction driven by fear and confusion.
A Closer Look at the Final Moments: What Really Happened?
A video that was released by Van Schaik on Tuesday has become a critical piece of evidence in understanding the sequence of events.
In this video, Van Schaik focuses on the exact moment when Alex Pretti reaches for his back pocket just before being shot by ICE agents. As agents begin to retreat and open fire, Pretti can be seen grabbing something from his back pocket.
While this gesture might initially appear to be one of aggression or an attempt to reach for a weapon, Van Schaik provides an alternative interpretation.
According to him, “Alex reportedly just had one gun,” but the video reveals that it "doesn't appear to be a gun because Gray Jacket Guy apparently already removed that from his person."
This detail raises questions about what Pretti might have been reaching for in his final moments. Van Schaik suggests that the object he grabbed was likely not a weapon at all, but rather something much more benign, such as a cell phone or even a magazine cartridge.
The Struggle to Disarm: A Key Moment of Miscommunication
Adding another layer to the analysis, Van Schaik provides further details about an important moment during the confrontation when one of the agents, referred to as "Gray Jacket," struggles to disarm Pretti.
“We then see Gray Jacket grab onto what seems to be Alex's pistol and is struggling to pull it out of his right waistband,” Van Schaik explains.
This move aligns with the natural behavior of a civilian carrying a firearm, as the weapon is often tucked into the waistband where it can be easily accessed with the dominant hand, especially when covered by a jacket.
Van Schaik continues to describe how Gray Jacket pulls at the gun, noting the difficulty he faces in trying to remove it.
“Gray Jacket is yanking and yanking and yanking, and finally, he removes it, as seen in this exact moment of release here.”
Despite this struggle, Van Schaik points out a significant detail that may have been overlooked by others: “It doesn't appear that Gray Jacket yells that he has successfully disarmed Alex, letting the other officers know he's not armed with that gun any longer.”
This lack of communication about the disarmament could have contributed to the confusion and misunderstanding during the incident, as officers may not have been fully aware that Pretti was no longer armed with a firearm at the time of the shooting.
A Natural Self-Defense Reaction
Van Schaik strongly challenges the notion that Pretti’s actions were a deliberate act of aggression.
Instead, he argues that Pretti's movement was simply a natural, psychological self-defense reaction to the extreme trauma he was enduring. “Alex grabbing anything in that final moment is obviously not an indication he initially had nefarious intentions,” Van Schaik explains.
This key insight from Van Schaik shifts the narrative surrounding Pretti’s actions. What may have seemed like a deliberate move to draw a weapon is re-framed as a reflexive and instinctive reaction to the overwhelming fear and confusion Pretti was experiencing in those split seconds.
“He felt his body was being sadly hit with bullets and that was just a natural desperate attempt to survive,” says Van Schaik. This interpretation challenges the assumptions made by some of the witnesses who initially assumed that Pretti had hostile intentions in those final moments.