New Delhi, Jan. 26 -- While US federal investigators maintain that Alex Pretti was armed during a fatal confrontation with Border Patrol in Minneapolis, contrasting video evidence, eyewitness reports, and family testimony have cast doubt on that narrative.

Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse and an American citizen, was killed on Saturday during what authorities labelled a "targeted" immigration operation in the city's southern district. The killing has sparked immediate demonstrations and placed a spotlight on the conduct of the US federal agents within the metropolitan area.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) asserts that Border Patrol personnel acted in self-defence, claiming Pretti approached with a handgun and fought against eff...