This tragic event could have been easily avoided had this ICE agent received proper training. But, as has been said, he was a trainer of other agents, so it should be noted that he failed miserably.
All training by the FBI and Homeland Security includes protocols for dealing with automobiles moving away from agents. The use of lethal weapons is the very last resort and is only justified when officers’ or the public’s lives are at risk.
By eyewitness accounts and by photo and video evidence, Good was not endangering the officer but was moving away. This officer, Jonathan Ross, did not immediately offer medical assistance to Good but instead walked away from her bleeding body.
The White House and DHS have promoted the claim that this was an attack by a terrorist and that this ICE agent was protecting himself. They have libeled her and portrayed her actions as un-American. It is hoped that the lawyers defending Good will file civil and financial legal actions against Ross, ICE, DHS, the White House, and all those who besmirched her character.
In the case of the woman who was shot and killed on January 6 as she illegally entered the Capitol building, she later received posthumous justification, and her family received amazing compensation.
The Justice Department has already settled a wrongful-death lawsuit from the family of Ashli Babbitt, the 35-year-old Air Force veteran who was shot to death while trying to break into an interior room of the Capitol, to the tune of $4.9 million. A spokesperson for the department did not immediately respond to a request for comment about other claims.
If they gave Babbitt’s family $4.9 million, then what should they have to pay for the murder of Good?
During a recent march, former January 6 rioters thanked Trump for their pardons, with several saying the government owed them more.
Now the January 6 criminals, also pardoned by Trump, are asking for restitution. This is the most brazen and outrageous request.
“A lot of these people are still struggling to not only find jobs but to be able to provide for themselves again… Just with the idea that we were at J6, it’s so hard to really find gainful employment,” Thomas Smith, who marched carrying a banner asking for “J6 PRISONER RESTITUTION,” told HuffPost. “I think that the government should do what it can to make people whole again.”
These are criminals asking for money after breaking the law, assaulting the police, and trying to destroy our democracy.
While the FBI wants to take over the case, in Minneapolis on Friday, the county attorney of Hennepin County left no doubt that the investigation into the shooting of Renee Good at point-blank range by an ICE agent, resulting in the 37-year-old mother’s death, belongs with her office.
Should the FBI take the lead, it would become a federal issue, and Trump could grant Ross a pardon. But if it remains a local or state legal action, and perhaps results in a conviction, Trump cannot offer a pardon.
Santana, a wonderful human-rights musician, will pay for the funeral costs on behalf of Ms. Good.
There is a video on YouTube in which Renee expresses her love and appreciation for the immigrants who live in her community and for their children who play with her son. In this video, she expresses love and shows no anger, nor does she promote violence against anyone.
Becca Good, the wife of Renee, stopped her fundraiser at $1.5 million and encouraged people to donate to others in need instead. Erika Kirk, by contrast, has raised $9.5 million and continues touring to raise even more following her husband’s death. In a world full of Erika Kirks, we should all choose to be a Becca Good.
Visiting coach Steve Kerr, coach of the Golden State Warriors and one of the few major figures in sports unafraid to share his political opinions, had this to say about the tragic incident and the disgusting smear campaign being waged by the White House against the slain mother of three:
“Well, I’m glad that the Timberwolves recognized her life and the tragic nature of her death. It’s shameful, really, that in our country we can have law enforcement officers who commit murder and seemingly get away with it.”
“It’s shameful that the government can come out and lie about what happened when there’s video and witnesses who have all come out and disputed what the government is saying.”
“So, very demoralizing, devastating to lose anyone’s life, especially in that manner. It’s terribly sad for her family, for her, and for that city, and I’m glad the Timberwolves came out and expressed that sadness.”
Legal experts, as well as former FBI officers, point to the evidence and regulations governing the use of force and deadly weapons and express that this is a case of lack of training, macho madness, and an atmosphere created by the White House and emboldened by DHS.
The national reaction was one of grief and a renewed resolve to continue confronting ICE and demanding that they leave our communities. Now we all realize that at any moment, we could become the next victims.
So who has to pay, politically, legally, and financially, is being spelled out in public, and we must demand justice for Renee Nicole Good.