In light of recent events in Minneapolis, numerous Democratic leaders are accusing the law enforcement officers involved in a shooting of being “murderers.” This dramatic claim comes despite video evidence showing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents positioned in front of a vehicle driven by Renee Nicole Good, who was shot while attempting to flee. It seems this situation is being leveraged as a distraction from a significant fraud scandal affecting the state.
Interestingly, this tactic echoes the Democrats’ prior claim from 2021 that alleged Border Patrol agents were “whipping immigrants,” which was later disproven by video footage showing no such actions against the over 30,000 mostly Haitian migrants entering the U.S.
The left surely recognizes the clarity of the video evidence. However, they’re not missing a chance to deflect attention from ongoing fraud investigations linked primarily to Minnesota’s Somali community. Reports of the shooting on Wednesday, involving a 37-year-old woman who seemed to express her dissatisfaction with federal immigration policies through her actions, nearly eclipsed the fraud news.
From my perspective as someone with 32 years in federal law enforcement, it seems that labeling the incident as murder only makes sense to those closely aligned with the Trump Derangement Syndrome narrative. Any loss of life is heart-wrenching, and in this case, I can’t help but feel that Good’s death might have been avoided had she chosen to protest peacefully in a suitable location rather than using her car to block agents performing their duties.
It’s fairly common knowledge that a vehicle can quickly turn into a lethal weapon. Law enforcement is acutely aware of this fact. Just look at the tragic case of Darrell Edward Brooks Jr., who used an SUV to mow down attendees at a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin in 2021, resulting in six fatalities and more than 60 injuries.
No one knows this better than the agents involved in the recent shooting. One such officer was severely hurt back in June 2025 after being dragged by a vehicle while attempting to arrest a child predator—a scenario when the driver tried to escape in a car, inflicting injuries severe enough to need over 30 stitches. This incident took place near Bloomington, Minnesota, according to reports.
The investigators of Good’s case are likely well aware of the risks posed by an uncooperative driver. After that June incident, there were reports of ICE officers being injured by vehicles wielded as weapons by suspects trying to evade capture.
There was also an event in September 2025, near Chicago, where an ICE agent was struck and dragged by a vehicle driven by an arrest subject. The driver was ultimately shot and killed by an ICE agent fearing for his life.
According to ICE’s current use-of-force policy, which was updated in 2023, agents must only use force when “no reasonably effective, safe and practicable alternative appears to exist.” Although the policy underscores the need for de-escalation, it does not obligate agents to retreat or wait for an attack before employing force, nor does it require a series of lesser measures before resorting to force.
The policy emphasizes that the determination of reasonableness should be viewed from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene, rather than through the lens of hindsight. Factors like imminent threats to safety or attempts to evade arrest significantly influence this assessment.
Video evidence from the encounter shows Good directing her vehicle toward the agents, potentially raising fears for the officers’ safety, as well as for bystanders nearby.
The policy also explicitly states that deadly force is only permissible if there is a reasonable belief that the suspect poses an immediate threat of severe injury or death—not when the threat is only to themselves or property.
Yet, despite the clear implications of the video footage, Democratic leaders including Minnesota’s Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and Representative Ilhan Omar, have publicly condemned the officers involved in the shooting.
Congresswoman Omar described the actions of ICE as “unconscionable,” framing Good merely as a “legal observer” rather than recognizing the serious context surrounding her actions.
Quick to assign blame, Mayor Frey shared a post soon after the shooting, criticizing ICE’s presence in the city before many details had emerged. He declared that the federal immigration enforcement was causing chaos and called for their removal.
We acknowledge the shooting incident involving ICE agents at 34th Street and Portland. The presence of federal immigration enforcement is wreaking havoc in our communities. We demand their removal.
Governor Walz also took to social media to contest information shared by the Department of Homeland Security regarding the shooting. He urged people not to believe the “propaganda machine,” insisting that a thorough and reasonable investigation would take place.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, threats against ICE agents have surged by over 8,000 percent recently. The rhetoric from left-leaning politicians, following the Minneapolis shooting, has not alleviated tensions or improved safety in the city. Instead of guiding the public to avoid interfering with federal law enforcement or warning against the dangers of using vehicles in protests, they seem to be inciting further chaos in their communities.
The language used by some on the left to belittle federal officers enforcing long-standing immigration laws only increases the chances of similar tragedies occurring in the future.
randy clark A 32-year veteran of the U.S. Border Patrol, he previously served as Division Chief of Law Enforcement Operations, overseeing nine Border Patrol stations in the Del Rio area of Texas.
