CNN reporter struggles to breathe on live TV while covering chaotic scene after Minneapolis shooting as tear gas deployed
A CNN report from Minneapolis was abruptly cut short after correspondent Sara Sidner struggled to breathe live on air as federal agents deployed tear gas during protests following a fatal shooting.
CNN anchor Fredricka Whitfield attempted to handover to Sidner during a broadcast Saturday, but the screen filled with smoke as Sidner coughed and fought for breath.
‘I’m trying to breathe. Hold on,’ Sidner could be heard saying, the camera pointing upward and blurred.
Whitfield quickly pulled away from the live shot, explaining the gravity of the situation.
‘You know what, it’s very difficult to speak when you’re in the middle of this,’ Whitfield said. ‘I was told that I should toss to her, but I feel badly right now because she’s in the middle of trauma being in the middle of all of this tear gas. This is what happens. You can’t speak. You can barely breathe. If you’re lucky you can swallow some water, at least remove yourself from the situation.’
Sidner later confirmed on social media that she had been gassed and said she had taken refuge inside a nearby donut shop.
The chaotic scene unfolded after a Border Patrol agent officers fatally shot a 37-year-old man in Minneapolis during a law enforcement operation, an incident captured on video that sparked hours of protests and clashes with police and federal agents.
The shooting occurred just after 9am near Glam Doll Donuts at the intersection of 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue, during what authorities described as a struggle involving multiple federal agents.
A CNN report from Minneapolis was abruptly cut short after correspondent Sara Sidner (pictured) struggled to breathe live on air
Federal agents stand near police tape as demonstrators gather near the site of where state and local authorities say a man was shot by federal agents earlier in the morning in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Saturday
‘I’m trying to breathe. Hold on,’ Sidner could be heard saying, the camera pointing upward and blurred
Sidner found shelter in the nearby donut shop and took to Instagram to explain what happened
Video from the scene shows agents wrestling the man to the ground before one agent fires multiple shots into his chest. The agent then retreats as other officers scatter.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the man was armed with a 9mm semi‑automatic handgun and two magazines, and that the firearm was later recovered by federal authorities.
DHS said officers attempted to disarm the man after he approached them with the weapon and ‘violently resisted,’ prompting what the department described as ‘defensive shots.’ The man was pronounced dead at the scene despite medical aid.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the victim was believed to be a 37‑year‑old white US citizen who lived in Minneapolis. He was later identified by the Minnesota Star Tribune as Alex Jeffrey Pretti.
O’Hara said the man’s only known prior contact with police involved parking violations and that he was believed to have had a permit to carry a firearm. Minnesota law allows permit holders to openly carry handguns in public.
Federal officials said the shooting occurred during what began as a ‘targeted operation against an illegal alien wanted for violent assault,’ though city officials have questioned the federal government’s actions and authority at the scene.
O’Hara said ICE agents attempted to have local police leave the area, a request he refused, insisting that Minneapolis police preserve the scene for evidence collection.
As news of the shooting spread, hundreds of protesters gathered near the scene, with authorities later declaring an unlawful assembly.
A Minneapolis man who was gunned down during a struggle with federal agents has been identified by local media as Alex Jeffrey Pretti
Pretti is a registered nurse, US citizen and a resident of Minnesota who had a gun license according to officials
According to DHS and local officials, dumpsters and restaurant furniture were used to block streets, at least two small fires were set, and officers deployed tear gas, flash‑bangs, and pepper spray to manage the crowd.
Witnesses were transported to the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, and Minnesota State Patrol troopers assisted with crowd control.
City and state leaders sharply criticized the federal operation.
Mayor Jacob Frey called the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown an ‘invasion’ by masked agents acting with impunity and urged President Donald Trump to remove federal agents from Minneapolis.
Governor Tim Walz said he had spoken with the White House and demanded an end to the operation, calling it ‘sickening.’
Senator Amy Klobuchar and Representative Ilhan Omar also issued statements condemning federal immigration enforcement tactics, with Omar calling the shooting ‘an execution by immigration enforcement.’
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said her office is working with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to coordinate a state response and investigate the shooting.
A protester appeared to be detained after an ICE agent reportedly shot a man several times in Minneapolis
Local police identified the man as a white 37-year-old US citizen from Minneapolis
She also launched a portal for the public to submit video and other evidence related to the incident.
The killing marks the third shooting involving federal agents in Minneapolis in recent weeks.
On January 7, an ICE officer fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, and about a week later another federal agent shot and wounded a man during a separate enforcement action, further intensifying scrutiny of federal law enforcement activity in the city.
