A Homeland Security Investigations officer's finger was bitten off by a rioter Saturday in Minneapolis, according to Department of Homeland Security 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 X. "He will lose his finger."

McLaughlin's post came amid the unrest after the federal agents shot an armed protester.

Family members say Jeffrey Pretti, 37, was an intensive care nurse at the Veterans Administration who cared deeply about people and was upset by President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown in his city.

He had participated in protests following the killing of Renee Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Law Enforcement officer earlier this month.

"We had this discussion with him two weeks ago or so, you know, that go ahead and protest, but do not engage, do not do anything stupid, basically," Michael Pretti, Alex's father, told The Associated Press. "And he said he knows that. He knew that."

The Department of Homeland Security said that the man was shot after he approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. Officials did not specify if Pretti brandished the gun, and it is not visible in bystander video of the shooting obtained by The Associated Press.

Family members said Pretti owned a handgun and had a permit to carry a concealed handgun in Minnesota. They said they had never known him to carry it.

AP contributed to this report.

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