Two Border Patrol agents involved in Saturday’s shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis have been placed on administrative leave as required by the agency’s firearms regulations. According to a source within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the move is required under U.S. Customs and Border Protection policy, which provides agents with three days of administrative leave and requires the pair to contact the agency’s mental wellness Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
The source says the granting of up to 24 hours of administrative leave is offered to the employees for mental wellness related to the immediate stress related to the discharge of a service weapon in a use-of-force situation. The policy also mandates that all agents who discharge their weapons in a use-of-force incident must also contact an EAP clinician who specializes in critical incident debriefings. According to the source, employees are not required to discuss specifics of the incident but may do so if they choose.
Breitbart Texas reviewed the internal policy document titled “Use of Force – Administrative Guidelines and Procedures Handbook,” which contains a chapter describing the process of placing the pair on administrative leave that reads:
When an Authorized Officer/Agent uses deadly force against a person, either on or off duty, the officer/agent shall (after providing incident information in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 3.A.1) be placed on Administrative Leave with pay and/or regularly scheduled days off for three consecutive calendar days immediately following the incident.
During this period the officer/agent shall, at a minimum, participate in a confidential initial consultation conducted by a CBP-provided counselor.
The source, not authorized to speak to the media, told Breitbart Texas the leave should not be interpreted as disciplinary. “This is standard practice; it has nothing to do with this shooting, just that these two agents were involved and fired their weapons. It’s to make sure they are doing okay.”
Administrative leave is an authorized absence from duty without loss of pay or charge to other earned leave the employee has accumulated. The source was careful to point out that the placement of a Border Patrol on administrative leave is different than a disciplinary suspension. “We’re a long way from the completion of any investigation regarding the circumstances of the Minneapolis shooting,” the source emphasized.
As reported by Breitbart News’ AWR Hawkings, a statement released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and read live on FOX News described the shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, saying agents were, “conducting a targeted operation in Minneapolis against an illegal alien wanted for violent assault.” While conducting the operation, a man approached “U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun.”
Videos circulating online showed Border Patrol agents engaged in a physical struggle with Pretti seconds before he was shot and killed. DHS described the struggle saying, “Officers tried to disarm the man but he “violently resisted.”
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X @RandyClarkBBTX.
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