Federal Immigration Agent Fired into Moving Vehicle in Minneapolis Leaves Nation Divided on Deadly Force Policy
In a shocking and disturbing incident, a federal immigration officer shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, 37, after chasing her down the street for several minutes. The shooting has reignited debate over when law enforcement officers are justified in using lethal force against someone in a moving vehicle.
The incident raises questions about the limits of use-of-force policies that many police departments have adopted to reduce the risk of bystanders being shot or drivers losing control after being hit by gunfire. The Minneapolis shooting is the latest in a growing list of violent encounters between federal agents and community members, with at least five fatalities since 2020.
According to witnesses and security footage, Good was driving erratically down the street before stopping her vehicle and stepping out. It is unclear whether she made contact with the officer's vehicle, but the shooting occurred as she attempted to block his path. The officer claimed self-defense and said he was trying to protect himself and fellow officers from what he described as a "domestic terrorist."
However, many experts argue that the use of deadly force in this situation was unjustified. Geoffrey Alpert, a criminology professor at the University of South Carolina, called for two thorough parallel investigations: one by ICE officials to determine if the agent followed policy and training, and another by state officials to investigate potential crimes.
"From just watching the video, this seems like an egregious example," said Alpert. "Local police are trained to deescalate in those kinds of situations, and I have questions about who she was, why he rushed the car and yelled. There are still a lot of questions."
The incident has also raised concerns about federal immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota and the training officers receive when interacting with the general public. The Department of Justice states that firearms should not be used simply to disable a moving vehicle, but rather only in limited circumstances, such as when someone in the vehicle is threatening another person or when the vehicle poses an imminent risk.
John P. Gross, a professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Law who has written extensively on officers shooting at moving vehicles, said that while some departments have added explicit policies regarding use-of-force and moving vehicles, officer training also needs to improve.
"If this woman was blocking the street and a law enforcement operation, they are entitled to arrest her. What they are not entitled to do is to use deadly force to arrest her," Gross said. "From the video, the officer seems to fire as she's moving past him. At that point, she's not a threat, so why fire?"
The incident has sparked outrage and calls for reform, with many arguing that federal immigration officers should be subject to the same standards of use-of-force policy as local police departments. As the FBI leads the investigation into Good's death, one thing is clear: this case will continue to fuel debates about deadly force policies and the limits of law enforcement authority in America.
In a shocking and disturbing incident, a federal immigration officer shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, 37, after chasing her down the street for several minutes. The shooting has reignited debate over when law enforcement officers are justified in using lethal force against someone in a moving vehicle.
The incident raises questions about the limits of use-of-force policies that many police departments have adopted to reduce the risk of bystanders being shot or drivers losing control after being hit by gunfire. The Minneapolis shooting is the latest in a growing list of violent encounters between federal agents and community members, with at least five fatalities since 2020.
According to witnesses and security footage, Good was driving erratically down the street before stopping her vehicle and stepping out. It is unclear whether she made contact with the officer's vehicle, but the shooting occurred as she attempted to block his path. The officer claimed self-defense and said he was trying to protect himself and fellow officers from what he described as a "domestic terrorist."
However, many experts argue that the use of deadly force in this situation was unjustified. Geoffrey Alpert, a criminology professor at the University of South Carolina, called for two thorough parallel investigations: one by ICE officials to determine if the agent followed policy and training, and another by state officials to investigate potential crimes.
"From just watching the video, this seems like an egregious example," said Alpert. "Local police are trained to deescalate in those kinds of situations, and I have questions about who she was, why he rushed the car and yelled. There are still a lot of questions."
The incident has also raised concerns about federal immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota and the training officers receive when interacting with the general public. The Department of Justice states that firearms should not be used simply to disable a moving vehicle, but rather only in limited circumstances, such as when someone in the vehicle is threatening another person or when the vehicle poses an imminent risk.
John P. Gross, a professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Law who has written extensively on officers shooting at moving vehicles, said that while some departments have added explicit policies regarding use-of-force and moving vehicles, officer training also needs to improve.
"If this woman was blocking the street and a law enforcement operation, they are entitled to arrest her. What they are not entitled to do is to use deadly force to arrest her," Gross said. "From the video, the officer seems to fire as she's moving past him. At that point, she's not a threat, so why fire?"
The incident has sparked outrage and calls for reform, with many arguing that federal immigration officers should be subject to the same standards of use-of-force policy as local police departments. As the FBI leads the investigation into Good's death, one thing is clear: this case will continue to fuel debates about deadly force policies and the limits of law enforcement authority in America.
. I mean, a woman just gets stopped by an immigration agent for no reason and then he ends up killing her while she's standing there? It's like something out of a movie. I don't get why they need to use deadly force in that situation. Like, what even is the justification for it? And who decides what constitutes a threat? 
But at the same time... what if she was really trying to block the officer and cause a scene? Maybe that warrants some level of force to defuse the situation. I don't know... it all just feels so messy 
. And can we talk about how messed up it is that ICE agents are basically considered above the law when it comes to use-of-force policies? 
. It seems like the officer overreacted and didn't try deescalation techniques that local police use in similar situations. I mean, was she really a "domestic terrorist" or just lost control of her car? 
There should be a thorough investigation into what led up to this, not just by ICE but also by local law enforcement.
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And what if she had just pulled over and cooperated? Would that have made a difference?
. I mean, we're talking about a country where law enforcement officers are supposed to protect and serve communities, not take lives unnecessarily.
. I don't care what she was doing or who she was; she didn't deserve to be shot in her car while trying to escape a potentially threatening situation. And what really gets me is that there's still no clear answer on whether the officer followed proper training and protocols, but it sounds like they did whatever felt right in the heat of the moment.
- an innocent person gets caught up in a high-speed chase and shot by a federal immigration agent... what's going on here? 
just a normal person trying to get away from what might have been a mistaken encounter.
It's just not right.
It's time for some real change here.
. I think the fact that he claimed self-defense but there were no real threats made by her is really suspicious 
. I think it's time for some serious reforms and better training for these officers 
. We need to figure out a way to balance public safety with respect for human life 
.
I don't get why this isn't being looked into more thoroughly. We need to know if the officer followed procedure and if they were even trained to handle a situation like this.
Do we have protocols in place for when someone is acting erratically on campus? Shouldn't there be some kind of training for teachers and staff on how to de-escalate situations without resorting to violence?
Can't we all just get along and find ways to resolve conflicts peacefully? 
. I mean, i'm not saying the officer didn't have a right to defend himself, but did he really have to use lethal force? that's like 99% of the time you can deescalate situations with less violent means, right?
?
. We need transparency and accountability in these situations! 
? I mean, I don't think it's fair to label someone like that without even knowing what's going on. The video footage doesn't show her making any contact with the car, and yet he still decides to shoot her. That's just crazy talk! 
THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING!!! I MEAN, CAN YOU EVEN IMAGINE BEING STOPPED BY SOMEONE IN A FEDERAL CUSTODY VEHICLE AND THEN GUNNED DOWN?! IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT! 
HOW MANY TIMES DO WE NEED TO SEE THIS KIND OF THING HAPPEN BEFORE WE TAKE ACTION?! 