Former law enforcement trainer sees "unanswered questions" in Alex Pretti's shooting
CBSN
A former federal law enforcement trainer says the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers raises serious concerns about their tactical decision-making and use of force. Kaia Hubbard contributed to this report. In:
A former federal law enforcement trainer says the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers raises serious concerns about their tactical decision-making and use of force.
Marc Brown, who spent five years training officers at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, said video of the confrontation leaves "a lot of unanswered questions," particularly about why officers confronted Pretti, who appeared to be filming a deportation operation using only his cellphone.
"We live in a digital age. People are going to record law enforcement," Brown said. "So the question is, what was the need to engage him in the first place?"
Brown, now the academic director of University of South Carolina's Excellence in Policing and Public Safety Program, criticized the officers' decision to deploy Oleoresin Capsicum spray — or OC spray — in a crowded area, calling it both tactically risky and potentially dangerous.
"OC is an aerosol," Brown said. "Everybody around is going to get exposed — demonstrators, bystanders, and other officers. Now everyone has chemical irritant in their eyes."

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