MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — In a deeply moving statement, Georgia Savageford, who identified herself as Wynnie, recounted her harrowing experience on January 24, when she witnessed federal immigration officers shoot protester Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. At a news conference, she shared, That day has changed me forever. The trauma will haunt me for the rest of my life, and I will never be the same.
Savageford, who has been lawfully observing immigration officers since a previous fatal incident involving a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, described how agents pushed her to the ground and aggressively restrained her, resulting in loss of feeling in her hands due to tight handcuffs.
She recalled her panic as she witnessed Pretti's shooting from within a police vehicle. At that moment, I thought I was going to die too. I pleaded with the agents to understand why another life was taken, she said.
After being held for 12 hours in an ICE facility without adequate care, Savageford, along with civil rights attorney John Burris, aims to initiate a class-action lawsuit against the alleged excessive force used by federal agents. This news comes in light of Minnesota's recent lawsuit against the Trump administration seeking justice and access to evidence related to the ongoing enforcement surge.
Burris emphasized the importance of this movement, stating, Put the government on notice that we’re here. We have many others that are under investigation that have not completed the process. Their efforts aim not only to hold the responsible parties accountable but also to advocate for the countless others affected by such violence.
Savageford, who has been lawfully observing immigration officers since a previous fatal incident involving a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, described how agents pushed her to the ground and aggressively restrained her, resulting in loss of feeling in her hands due to tight handcuffs.
She recalled her panic as she witnessed Pretti's shooting from within a police vehicle. At that moment, I thought I was going to die too. I pleaded with the agents to understand why another life was taken, she said.
After being held for 12 hours in an ICE facility without adequate care, Savageford, along with civil rights attorney John Burris, aims to initiate a class-action lawsuit against the alleged excessive force used by federal agents. This news comes in light of Minnesota's recent lawsuit against the Trump administration seeking justice and access to evidence related to the ongoing enforcement surge.
Burris emphasized the importance of this movement, stating, Put the government on notice that we’re here. We have many others that are under investigation that have not completed the process. Their efforts aim not only to hold the responsible parties accountable but also to advocate for the countless others affected by such violence.
