A variety of outstanding US sports stars have condemned the killing of a registered nurse, Alex Pretti, by federal brokers in Minneapolis on Saturday.
Pretti, 37, is the second individual shot and killed by federal brokers in Minneapolis in lower than three weeks as protests over Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown sweep the town. Senior Trump administration officers have claimed Pretti meant to “massacre” federal officers with a handgun however video of the killing appears to contradict those claims.
Two-time NBA All-star Tyrese Haliburton, top-of-the-line younger gamers within the league, posted concerning the killing on Saturday. “Alex Pretti was murdered,” the Indiana Pacers guard wrote.
There have been sturdy reactions from the WNBA. Two-time WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart held a sign studying “ABOLISH ICE” earlier than her workforce’s sport in Unrivaled, the league she co-founded. Another WNBA star, Angel Reese, posted “Praying for our country” on X.
NFL stars additionally reacted to the capturing. Former Steelers security Ryan Clark, who gained a Super Bowl with Pittsburgh and is now a broadcaster, paid tribute to Pretti on X. “Rest Easy Alex Pretti. Bro was a hero. Prayers to his family & loved ones. Senseless death… AGAIN!!” Clark wrote.
Dwight McGlothern Jr, a cornerback for Minneapolis’s NFL workforce, the Minnesota Vikings, has commonly posted on the latest unrest and did so once more on Saturday. “It’s not right what’s happening in Minnesota,” he wrote.
NFL corridor of famer Alan Page, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Trump in 2018, seems to have been protesting towards the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis this week. Images circulating on social media present the 80-year-old, who spent a lot of his profession with the Vikings, among protesters.
Saturday’s NBA sport between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors was postponed after Pretti’s killing. The Timberwolves play lower than two miles from the scene of the capturing and the NBA stated it made the choice to “prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community”.
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NBA figures additionally spoke out after federal officers shot and killed one other US citizen, Renee Good, earlier this month.
“It’s shameful, really, that in our country we can have law enforcement officers who commit murder and seemingly get away with it,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after Good’s demise.
Pretti’s dad and mom have stated they’re “heartbroken but also very angry” after their son’s demise.
“The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs,” they stated. “He has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down all while being pepper-sprayed.”