Alex Pretti’s Friend and Former Boss Describes Her Shock (w/ Dr. Aasma Shaukat)

Alex Pretti began his career as a research assistant at the Minneapolis VA, hired by Dr. Aasma Shaukat. Despite a slight build and looking young, he displayed immense enthusiasm and an explicit interest in caring for vulnerable patients. He worked extra jobs, like delivering pizzas, to make ends meet while pursuing his healthcare career, eventually transitioning to nursing with his team's support.

He applied to be a research assistant in our clinical research studies program at the Minneapolis VA... he had a lot of enthusiasm and he did express this interest that he really wanted to take care of uh patients and uh vulnerable patients in particular... he delivered pizzas at night to make ends meet and he was trying to qualify to be a Uber driver but you know his car was too old.

Pretti was consistently described as a calm, sweet, and empathetic individual. His bedside manner, as seen in a public video tending to a veteran, reflected his professional and serene nature. Colleagues knew him as someone who would always help, whether holding doors or guiding lost visitors, underscoring his innate desire to assist others.

Sam, your your uh reading is spoton. That's actually what Alex was like. He was just very calm... He was the kind of person that would open doors... If he saw somebody lost walking around the corridors of the hospital... he would definitely... say, 'Hey, can I help you?'

Dr. Shaukat was not surprised by Pretti's participation in protests against ICE, viewing it as consistent with his character of standing up for his community and vulnerable people. She vehemently refutes any narrative portraying him as an instigator of violence, asserting that he was likely attempting to protect a fellow citizen.

Yeah, you know, that doesn't surprise me because uh we were together when the George Floyd riots were happening... we often talk about uh standing up for uh you know, lending our voice to what we think uh is is right... Not at all [did he instigate violence]... if there was somebody that he thought was in harm's way or had fallen... he would do that.

Watching the video of Alex Pretti's death was gut-wrenching for Shaukat. She observed him trying to protect another citizen and potentially document the events, emphasizing his non-threatening physical stature. The subsequent brutal events, including being thrown to the ground and shot, were seen as excessive given his character and actions.

Uh, I mean it was gut-wrenching and very very uh horrifying. Uh, you know, to see somebody uh trying to protect another uh citizen that was vulnerable... Alex was not a big guy. Uh he was, you know, always on the on the slimmer, very leaner side. So, he was not threatening in any way, shape, or form.