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Protests occurred in different pockets of the United States on Wednesday and into Thursday following the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis resident committed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent.
The victim was 37-year-old Renee Nicole Macklin Good, a mother of three and a recent transplant of Kansas City, Missouri. Good, according to her ex-husband, had just dropped off her 6-year-old son at school prior to the incident that was met with outrage by those who said Good did nothing wrong to elicit such a reaction from law enforcement. Top Trump administration officials, supported by the president himself, deemed her actions leading up the shooting “an act of domestic terrorism.”
“Let the investigation play out and hold people accountable based on the investigation.” – White House Border Czar Tom Homan
A video that first circulated on social media shows two agents near Good’s vehicle, one near the driver’s side door and appearing to grab the handle. As Good is seen reversing her vehicle, turning her wheels and pulling forward, another officer situated in front of the car pulled out his weapon and fired at least two close-range shots inside the vehicle.
Good can be seen then losing control of the vehicle and crashing into the back of a parked vehicle a few feet down the street. Bystanders in the video can be heard screaming and yelling profanities at ICE agents.
‘Investigation Just Started’
In the almost immediate aftermath of the fatal shooting, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) headed by Secretary Kristi Noem issued a statement on social media claiming Good “weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism.”
“An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots,” the statement read. “He used his training and saved his own life and that of his fellow officers.”
Video and images of the ICE agent who purportedly shot Good have widely circulated online and in media outlets.
However, White House Border Czar Tom Homan seemed to separate himself from Noem, DHS by advocating for an investigation to reach completion.
“The investigation has just started,” Homan told CBS Evening News host Tony Dokoupil on Wednesday evening after he was asked to comment on the circulated video of the incident. “I’m not gonna make a judgment call on one video when there’s a hundred videos out there. I wasn’t on the scene, I’m not an officer that may have bodycam video.
“It’d be unprofessional to comment on what I think happened in that situation. Let the investigation play out and hold people accountable based on the investigation.”
Asked in a follow-up question by Dokoupil why he has urged patience as the investigation plays out while DHS issued its swift statement, Homan told him, “That’s a question for Homeland Security.”
“What good is it to do right now to pre-judge the facts of what happened without giving law enforcement professionals, whether it’s the FBI or the local police there, give them time to look at all the videos, talk to all of the witnesses, talk to the officers, and make an educated decision on what occurred today?” Homan said.
He added: “That’s what needs to happen. I’ve been a cop since 1984, and it’s a process we must go through.”
Trump, Victim’s Mother Make Statements
President Donald Trump, in a Truth Social post written after the shooting, called the situation “horrible” but referred to the victim as a “professional agitator.”
The president doubled down on the DHS statement of the incident, saying, “The woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer, who seems to have shot her in self defense.”
“Based on the attached clip, it is hard to believe he is alive, but is now recovering in the hospital,” Trump added, though the video most widely circulated proves antithetical to such statements.
It’s unknown if other videos and angles of the shooting exist, which may play out in the investigatory phase.
Trump also blamed the “Radical Left,” who he called “full of violence and hate” for “threatening, assaulting, and targeting our Law Enforcement Officers and ICE Agents on a daily basis.”
Donna Ganger, the victim’s mother, told the Minnesota Star Tribune that the family was notified of the death late Wednesday morning.
“Renee was one of the kindest people I’ve ever known,” Ganger said. “She was extremely compassionate. She’s taken care of people all her life. She was loving, forgiving and affectionate. She was an amazing human being.”
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22 Comments
The statement from the Department of Homeland Security claiming Renee Nicole Macklin Good ‘weaponized her vehicle’ seems to contradict the video evidence, which shows the ICE agent firing at least two close-range shots inside the vehicle.
I agree, it’s alarming how quickly they labelled her actions as ‘an act of domestic terrorism’ without a thorough investigation.
The investigation into the fatal shooting of Good should prioritize transparency and accountability, and ensure that all evidence is carefully considered and evaluated.
White House Border Czar Tom Homan’s call for an investigation to reach completion is a more measured approach than the immediate response from DHS, which may have jumped to conclusions.
The use of force by the ICE agent in this incident should be evaluated in the context of the broader conversation about police brutality and the use of deadly force by law enforcement in the United States.
It’s concerning that top Trump administration officials, including the president, have already deemed Good’s actions ‘an act of domestic terrorism’ without waiting for the investigation to conclude.
This kind of rhetoric can be damaging and may influence public opinion before all the facts are known.
The investigation into the fatal shooting of Good should consider the potential consequences of labelling her actions as ‘an act of domestic terrorism’, and ensure that this characterization is supported by the evidence.
The video evidence, which shows the ICE agent firing at least two close-range shots inside the vehicle, raises serious questions about the use of force and the training of law enforcement officers.
The statement from White House Border Czar Tom Homan, saying ‘let the investigation play out and hold people accountable based on the investigation’, is a more cautious and reasonable approach than the DHS’s initial response.
The fact that the ICE agent who shot Good has been widely identified online and in media outlets may compromise his safety and the integrity of the investigation.
Renee Nicole Macklin Good’s ex-husband stated that she had done nothing wrong to elicit such a reaction from law enforcement, which raises questions about the circumstances leading up to the shooting.
The reaction of bystanders in the video, who can be heard screaming and yelling profanities at ICE agents, reflects the outrage and horror that many people feel about this incident.
The fact that Good was a mother of three and a recent transplant to Minneapolis adds a personal and human dimension to this tragic event, and highlights the need for a careful and compassionate investigation.
It’s striking that the Department of Homeland Security and the White House Border Czar have reacted differently to the fatal shooting, with the former rushing to judgment and the latter advocating for a thorough investigation.
The fact that Good had just dropped off her 6-year-old son at school prior to the incident adds a heartbreaking layer to this tragic event, and raises questions about the use of force by law enforcement.
The Department of Homeland Security’s initial response to the incident, which claimed that Good had ‘weaponized her vehicle’, may have been premature and should be re-evaluated in light of the ongoing investigation.
The investigation into the fatal shooting of Good should prioritize finding the truth, rather than rushing to judgment or protecting the interests of law enforcement.
A thorough and impartial investigation is essential to ensuring accountability and justice for Good and her family.
The Department of Homeland Security’s claim that the ICE officer ‘used his training and saved his own life and that of his fellow officers’ may not be supported by the evidence, and should be scrutinized.
The reaction of the public to the fatal shooting of Good, which has included protests and outrage, reflects the deep concerns that many people have about the use of force by law enforcement and the need for accountability.
The video of the incident, which shows the ICE agent grabbing the handle of Good’s vehicle and another officer firing shots, should be carefully examined as part of the investigation to determine what really happened.