"Bill Melugin, whom I call the Fox News Chief Deportation Propagandist (though he has been moved to cover Congress) was the person who first reported that Alex Pretti had a weapon. Around 56 minutes after CBP killed Pretti at 9:02 AM CT, so 3:02 IT, they had already gotten Melugin this picture (and in the process proven that they were not securing evidence from the crime scene, which damning fact Melugin has never, AFAIK, pointed out)."
"In the hours following the shooting, U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino held a press conference asserting that the operation was targeting an individual named Jose Huerta-Chuma and characterized him as having a significant criminal history. Because federal statements have repeatedly included inaccurate information about Minnesota custody and criminal records, the DOC reviewed available records to determine whether the individual referenced had any connection to Minneso"
Bill Melugin was the first reporter to claim that Alex Pretti had a weapon and later disseminated several contested claims after the killing. CBP provided Melugin a photograph about 56 minutes after the 9:02 AM CT killing, indicating the crime scene may not have been secured. Reported claims included that Pretti was an illegal alien wanted for violent assault, that he approached Border Patrol with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, that he violently resisted, that medics immediately delivered aid, that he intended to massacre law enforcement, and that 200 rioters arrived. The Star Tribune debunked most claims. The Minnesota Department of Corrections launched a website to correct DHS inaccuracies and reviewed records regarding the named individual, finding a prior ICE release during Trump’s first term. There is no sign CBP searched for identification at the scene.
Read at Emptywheel
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