The Justice Department's investigation into the shooting death of Alex Pretti by two Customs and Border Protection agents in Minneapolis does not include prosecutors from the department's Civil Rights Division.
CBS News Senior Justice Department reporter Sarah Lynch said that is unusual.
"Historically, when there has been a very high profile shooting involving officers, whether they be state, local, or federal, typically the Civil Rights Division's criminal section has gotten involved," reports Lynch. "And the prosecutors there have worked hand-in-hand with prosecutors and local U.S. attorney's offices, as well as the FBI agents in that area to investigate the shooting, to determine if the person's rights were violated under the Constitution."
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office is investigating 17 possible criminal incidents involving federal agents during the surge across Minnesota, including the deaths of Pretti and also Renee Good, along with allegations of excessive force.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty has not set a timeline for completing their investigation, noting the complex legal challenges that may arise if they decide to pursue formal charges against any federal agents.
"There are two local prosecutors in Minnesota, which is standard, but the people that they have sent from the Civil rights division to work with them are not who you'd expect," Lynch further reports. "The lead lawyer, Brandon Wrobleski, is a lawyer who works in a totally different section of the Civil rights division called the Employment Litigation section. And that section handles strictly civil litigation and civil investigations related to workplace discrimination claims."
She also says that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters at a press conference that the Civil Rights Division would be getting involved in the two cases.
"Because they do, and this is true, they have the best experts in the world at this," reports Lynch, who says this goes against typical protocol from the Justice Department.
Typically, a shooting involving law enforcement comes with involvement from the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division
