(Washington) The state of Minnesota filed a complaint Tuesday in Washington against the US departments of Justice and Homeland Security as part of the investigation into the deaths of two US citizens killed earlier this year by immigration police agents.
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The complaint, seen by AFP, accuses the federal government of not having respected its initial commitments to cooperate in the investigation into the shootings which cost the lives of Americans Renee Good and Alex Pretti and injured Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, on the sidelines of demonstrations against immigration policy in Minneapolis.
“The State of Minnesota has the authority and responsibility to protect its people from violence and to combat it on its territory, in particular by prosecuting the perpetrators of homicides, attempted homicides and assaults,” states the complaint.
“This responsibility lies primarily with Minnesota law enforcement and judicial authorities who must collect evidence, evaluate the facts, and determine whether Minnesota criminal law has been violated,” the document emphasizes.
According to the complaint, the federal government has blocked Minnesota authorities from accessing investigative materials they need to investigate the three shootings.
In January, federal agents killed Renée Good and Alex Pretti, two Americans living in Minneapolis who were protesting the methods of immigration enforcement (ICE). They also shot and wounded Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant, hit in the leg during a chase near his home.
