Kona Hawaii, January 25, 2026.
CAUTION: STRONG OPINION AHEAD.
It is rare that events in the news are able to distract me from enjoying the fruits of our travels. The death of 37 year old Alex Jeffrey Pretti at the hands of ICE officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota has done so.
Murder? An Execution? Justified? Those are questions that the United States Constitution says can only be answered with the exercise of Due Process of Law.
What is certain is that we have witnessed a homicide, defined as the killing of a human being by another human being. We have witnessed a death caused by an agent of the United States Government and the denial of Due Process of Law to the victim.
We have also witnessed an effort by the government to “get ahead of the story“, and without evidence vilify the victim by creating a narrative that stands in stark contradiction to what is clearly shown in the many videos of the killing.
Universally, American law enforcement officers swear an oath to support and defend the United States Constitution. The words “Law Enforcement” are not meaningless. Officers are commissioned to enforce the law, but not to act as judge, jury, and executioner. The laws that they enforce, and that they are also subject to, include the protections of the Constitution. These include: The Right to Assemble, Freedom of Speech, The Right to Bear Arms, Due Process of Law, and in the case of criminal prosecutions the presumption of innocence until found guilty in a court of law.
If Alex Jeffrey Pretti was breaking the law by unlawfully protesting, unlawfully carrying a gun, or unlawfully resisting arrest, then he had the right to have his guilt or innocence determined in a court of law. There was no justification for a summary execution.
If the ICE officers who shot Alex Jeffrey Pretti acted criminally or without legal justification, then that also is to be determined in a court of law based upon facts found in a full, fair and unbiased investigation. Those officers do not have immunity, they do not stand above the United States Constitution.
To hold otherwise would mean that we are also witnessing another death, the death of the United States Constitution.
Peace Everyone. Pete
Charlene Johnstone says:
Stand up people this is not America way this is like being under the nazi
Scott Dreher says:
Beautifully said, Pete! Proud to be your friend!
Pete Schloss says:
Thank you, Scott. The institutions that are meant be our security are the ones that are now under attack.
Peter Dean Tremain says:
Thank you for boldly and clearly speaking the truth!
Bobbi says:
agreed!
Karen Hubble says:
I don’t know what it will take to convince Congress to act with honesty and courage. Thank you Peter for your wisdom.
Pete Schloss says:
Karen, I’m afraid many in Congress are motivated by protecting their own positions and self interests. Until there is a real threat that their status is jeopardized they will keep their heads down and turn a blind eye to what is happening. Not only is this predictable but it is what happened in Germany.
Christine E Rankin says:
We may be thinking the same (which we most definitely are) but you always have the perfect words to convey this thoughts. Thank you Pete.
Pete Schloss says:
Thanks Christine
Bill says:
Well said Pete. I see this as the 2nd murder of a US citizen in Minneapolis by an American Gestopo that immediately lies about what we are all seeing with our own eyes. I felt that trump would be bad but this is far worse than I expected. We all need together out and protest, write our legislators and “get in good trouble” or it’s only going to get worse. It’s still a long time till November.
Peacefull protest, Bill
Pete Schloss says:
Agreed!!
Annie says:
Well said. Not sure why he carried a gun to the scene if he was only go to peacefully protest, tho. But otherwise, his death was wrong!
Pete Schloss says:
Annie, even if he was wrong in carrying a gun, which the reporting indicates he was lawful entitled to, that doesn’t authorize his execution. Whether he was carrying a gun or not is as irrelevant as if he were carrying a wallet.
Babe Wiley says:
Pretti was shot, reportedly 10 times, as an unarmed man, held down by two additional thugs. As a former cop, his decision to pack his weapon to a high-conflict protest, which he was legally authorized to do from what I have read, was not his best decision, but US agents removed the weapon from it’s holster, not his hand – he held a cell phone in one hand and the other in the air at the time. He was not an imminent threat, and escalation of force was unwarranted (in my humble opinion). The two armed agents who killed him should be held accountable. Having this incident investigated by the related wrongdoers vs an impartial assessor is wrong. I am heartsick at what our country has become.
Pete Schloss says:
Tragic and so very wrong!
PatS says:
Thank you Peter! Well said!
Liz S. says:
Pete – I have been away visiting my daughter in Cali. I am just getting caught up on your posts. I have not commented thus far – but I feel compelled to toss my two cents in. I totally agree with your post – We The People have to go out and “make some good trouble”.
Pete Schloss says:
Hi Liz. First of all, I do not know why these email notices have been issued all at one time and nearly 2 weeks after the posts were published. That having been said, thank you for reading and commenting. Peace my friend.
Nancy Antonette Wallingford says:
Agreed. Thank you for stating these ideas in writing!
Pete Schloss says:
Thank you, Nancy. It is a mystery to me why these posts are sending out email notices more than a week late.