DOJ Blocks Minnesota Probe of Fatal ICE Shootings

Federal investigators stopped sharing evidence with Minnesota authorities in the investigations of the fatal ICE shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, leaving state investigators without key records and physical evidence. The cutoff came after federal and state officials negotiated an evidence-sharing agreement and began exchanging material.

Evidence Withheld

In court filings Tuesday, Minnesota investigators said the Justice Department still hadn't provided a statement from one of the officers who shot Pretti. The Hennepin County attorney is investigating his killing, and Minnesota authorities called the statement an important piece of evidence.

Drew Evans, superintendent of Minnesota's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said in a sworn statement that state investigators also couldn't access the cellphone of the agent who fatally shot Good, Good's clothing, the firearms used to shoot Pretti, the gun Pretti possessed, or physical evidence from the scene. That evidence includes projectiles and shell casings.

Minnesota investigators are also seeking evidence about the non-fatal shooting of Venezuelan immigrant Julio Sosa-Celis. ICE officer Christian Castro faces state and federal charges related to the shooting and investigation. Minnesota authorities are pursuing access to evidence in federal court in Washington, D.C.

Federal authorities hold the missing evidence as state and local investigators seek access. CNN said it had contacted the Justice Department and the Minnesota U.S. attorney's office for comment.

A Cooperation Agreement Ends

The evidence exchange began after three weeks of negotiations that started in late June between the U.S. attorney's office for Minnesota and the BCA, the state's lead investigative agency. Federal law enforcement provided Good's vehicle, the gun used to shoot her, body-worn camera footage, officer statements and other evidence, according to court records filed Tuesday. Minnesota investigators also shared evidence their agents had collected with federal agents.

The following month, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty thanked federal prosecutors at a press conference for sharing evidence. She said she believed her office had received all evidence in both cases or would receive it soon. Within days, federal officials stopped cooperating with local authorities, the state said in filings. Moriarty's team later found that officials hadn't shared key evidence.

Moriarty said in a sworn statement that she repeatedly contacted Daniel Rosen, the U.S. attorney for Minnesota, to ask him to resume evidence-sharing. Rosen told her several times that his office was “pausing” cooperation but was “optimistic” more information could be shared “soon.”

On September 10, Rosen told Moriarty that his office would stop sharing evidence “indefinitely,” citing “challenges with D.C.” Moriarty said she “was left with the understanding” that federal authorities wouldn't provide additional evidence to state and local investigators “unless and until there was a change in policy on that sharing coming out of Washington D.C.”

A Pause Moriarty Called Unique

Moriarty said the evidence cutoff differs from other federal-local law enforcement work. “Indeed, in all other matters including complex homicide cases, mass shootings, drug and gun cases, and many other types of cases, collaboration and information sharing with federal officials continues as normal,” she wrote. “The pause on information sharing is unique to these matters.”

The negotiated agreement enabled an exchange of evidence, but it didn't guarantee Minnesota investigators continued access. Federal cooperation stopped. The state then sought evidence through court filings and pursued access in federal court in Washington, D.C. The requested materials include officer statements and physical evidence tied to the shootings.