Renee Good did not deserve to die
To the editor:
A woman was killed. She was denied the chance to raise her children, denied the chance to grow old with her partner and share many wonderful memories. She was killed by an ICE agent who made the decision that ending her life was the right decision in that moment. If we all put our political opinions aside for the moment and concentrate on what’s to be seen in the videos, it’s clear the agent’s life was not threatened. The woman reversed and was turning to drive clear of the scene; she was not aiming her car at the agent, who could have easily stepped aside in any case.
The agent shot her because his inclination and training were to respond with violence to any challenge to his authority. But let’s make something really clear: ICE agents are not police officers as we think of them — they have a limited scope of authority that exists to detain and arrest probable causes and/or signed warrants of those suspected of being in the country illegally. The situation in Minnesota was completely outside the scope of the legal authority of ICE. These agents use intimidation, confident that most of us do not understand the law and our legal rights.
The agent yanking on Renee Good’s door handle and yelling at her had no right to order her from her vehicle. He should have known that. Law enforcement officers are taught that under no circumstances should they ever step in front of a moving vehicle to prevent a person from leaving a situation in which they are not legally being detained. The agent who opened fire had every opportunity to take two steps to the right and not be standing directly in front of the vehicle being legally driven away.
The idea that mother of two, Renee Good, with teddy bears all over her car, was attempting “an act of domestic terrorism” is ludicrous beyond belief. Statements by DHS boss, Kristi Noem, immediately after the shooting, before the investigation had even begun, in which she totally blamed the victim and defended the officer who killed her, were shameful and prove that though she is in charge, she has no clear understanding of the law and the scope of authority of her ICE agents. She should resign. Even if the shooter was a police officer or FBI agent, the killing of Renee Nicole Good would not have been justified. She did not deserve to DIE for anything she did that afternoon.
Ray Clasen
North Fort Myers