Consider This from NPR — Episode Summary

Title: How to De-escalate in Minneapolis
Date: January 25, 2026
Host: Sarah McCammon
Guest: Chuck Wexler, Executive Director, Police Executive Research Forum

Overview

This episode examines the escalating violence between federal immigration agents and protestors in Minneapolis, focusing on the recent fatal shooting of protester Alex Preddy. Against a backdrop of increased federal operations and mass demonstrations, the discussion centers on law enforcement tactics, failures in de-escalation, and the growing rift between local communities and federal agents.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Incident: Federal Agents and Alex Preddy

• The episode opens by recounting the viral videos of federal agents shooting protester Alex Preddy:
  • Multiple videos show agents pepper spraying Preddy, tackling him, and then one agent shooting him.
  • Officials claim Preddy had a handgun, but video evidence does not show him brandishing it.
  • Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara confirmed Preddy was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.
    • "[Alex Preddy] is a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry." — Brian O'Hara (01:11)

Context: Surge in Federal Operations

• The fatality marked the second federal agent-involved death in the Twin Cities within weeks.
• Protests against the surge have overwhelmed local law enforcement, resulting in the National Guard’s activation.
• Many new federal agents have been rapidly hired under the Trump administration’s expansion of deportation operations.

Federal Agent Tactics vs. Local Police Practices

• Expert Guest: Chuck Wexler, Police Executive Research Forum, critiques federal tactics.
• Wexler points out that federal agents in Minneapolis do not use de-escalation techniques that local police have prioritized for years.
• He stresses the importance of policy review after successive violent incidents:
  • "If a police chief had three officer-involved shootings in three weeks… they’d say, what are we learning from these situations? How can we handle these differently?" — Chuck Wexler (03:51)

The Role of De-Escalation

• Wexler highlights the concept of the “tactical pause”:
  • Federal agents failed to slow down, communicate, or use time and distance to defuse the situation.
  • "Sometimes you have to slow things down, use time and distance and communicate... sometimes you have to take a tactical pause, step back." — Chuck Wexler (04:29)

Community Trust and “Occupying Army”

• Wexler warns that when federal agents appear disconnected from the community, public trust erodes:
  • "When you have federal agency agents coming into a community, they can sometimes come off as an occupying army... in American policing, that’s not what we’ve learned." — Chuck Wexler (06:02)

Optics: Police Appearance and Messaging

• Discussion of agents’ attire: federal agents in masks and nondescript colors contrast with visible, uniformed local police.
• Visibility and identification are essential for building trust:
  • “American police have recognized it’s important for them to have their name, their ID to be visible, to communicate. American police wear body worn cameras. All... to try to regain trust and legitimacy.” — Chuck Wexler (07:13)
  • Wexler stresses that agents' anonymity and lack of communication are “a recipe for disaster.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On learning from violence:

  "If a police chief had three officer-involved shootings in three weeks…I can tell you…they would say, what are we learning from these situations?"
  — Chuck Wexler (03:51)

• On tactics and de-escalation:

  "Sometimes you have to slow things down, use time and distance and communicate…sometimes you have to take a tactical pause, step back."
  — Chuck Wexler (04:29)

• On federal-local divide:

  "When you have federal agency agents coming into a community, they can sometimes come off as an occupying army."
  — Chuck Wexler (06:02)

• On police visibility:

  "It’s important for them to have their name, their ID to be visible, to communicate. American police wear body worn cameras…to try to regain trust and legitimacy with the community."
  — Chuck Wexler (07:13)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:00-01:17] — Overview of Alex Preddy's shooting, official statements, and emerging controversy.
• [03:22-06:42] — Interview with Chuck Wexler: critiques of federal agents' tactics, urban policing challenges, de-escalation failures.
• [06:42-07:57] — Discussion on the optics of law enforcement presentation, importance of visibility, and the message sent to the public.

Tone & Conclusion

The episode emphasizes urgency, the need for policy change, and a deep concern for the growing disconnect between federal agents and the communities they police. Wexler’s expert analysis offers a somber but practical call for introspection within federal agencies—a plea for adapting tested, community-focused, and de-escalatory approaches before further tragedies occur.