Turley on Pretti

By Grand Rapids Anonymous
monday, January 26, 2026 at 4:15:00 p.m. est

“(Jonathan Turley) there remain legitimate questions about this shooting. the videotapes do not show, as suggested in early accounts from the federal government, that Pretti approached the officers brandishing a weapon.

“Pretti does not obey the commands of the officers in returning to the middle of the road during their operation. however, he did not appear threatening until after the officer pushed him to the side of the road. at one point, he appears to shove the officer as he tries to assist a woman who was pushed to the ground.

“what happens next is hard to determine. there is a video that suggests that an officer may have removed his weapon from its holster just before another officer yells “gun.” it is hard to see Pretti’s hands and we do not know what happened in that split second. we may get a better idea as new videotapes emerge.

“law enforcement officers do not expect blind deference on shootings. However, they have a right to expect a fair chance for an investigation to hear their side of a shooting — not a governor or a mayor rushing before cameras to effectively accuse them of murder.

“at this point, it may not matter. only the mob matters. minneapolis [chief of police] Brian O’Hara explained: 'even if there is an investigation that ultimately proves that at the time of the shooting it was legally justified, I don’t think that even matters at this point, because there just- there is so much outrage and concern around what is happening in the city.'”

GRA: Sounds like a fair analysis.

--GRA