Watchdog report: U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) internal watchdog office issued a preliminary report, per The New York Times, that contradicts the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) claims about Alex Pretti's behavior at the time of his death. It was performed by the CBP's Office of Professional Responsibility, which is in charge of compiling reports on misconduct after lethal force is used, and was sent to members of Congress yesterday.
DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin had initially claimed that Pretti "wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement." Kristi Noem, secretary of DHS, had said that Pretti was "brandishing" a gun, describing this as "domestic terrorism." (Pretti's parents have countered that their son was not holding a gun, but rather a phone, when he was shot by law enforcement, having been previously disarmed.)
