Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Friday that the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division has opened a civil rights investigation into the death of Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed Jan. 24 by a federal agent in Minneapolis.
Asked directly during a press conference whether the Justice Department had opened a civil rights investigation, Blanche responded, "Yes," then sought to tamp down expectations about what the step signifies.
"We're looking at everything that would shed light on that day," Blanche said, adding that the Department of Homeland Security remains the lead investigative agency and that the FBI, "which is a separate role from DHS," is also "looking into it and conducting an investigation."
He said that arrangement has been in place since the fatal shooting and insisted it should not be viewed as a new development.
"That shouldn't be treated as making news," Blanche said, adding that the department has been saying the same thing for about a week.
Pressed by a reporter on whether the probe into Pretti's death "is now a civil rights investigation," Blanche said the department's position is consistent with what it has said since last weekend, but added, "I didn't say it was always the case."
The announcement came as DHS confirmed that the FBI will lead the federal investigation into the shooting, with Homeland Security Investigations providing support. Customs and Border Protection is also conducting an internal review, according to officials.
When asked whether DHS is still "leading" the overall inquiry, Blanche declined to characterize leadership roles, saying, "I don't even really know what that means," while noting that the FBI is investigating and coordinating with DHS.
Blanche was pressed about why the Civil Rights Division did not open a comparable inquiry into the Jan. 7 shooting death of Renee Good, which also occurred in Minneapolis. He said federal civil rights attorneys do not investigate every law enforcement shooting.
"There are thousands, unfortunately, of law enforcement events every year where somebody is shot," Blanche said.
"The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice does not investigate every one of those shootings," he continued. "There has to be circumstances or facts or maybe unknown facts, but certainly circumstances that warrant an investigation."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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