Minnesota is not a happy place at the moment, what with the multi-billion-dollar welfare fraud story and now this:
After an immigration agent shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis on Wednesday morning, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and President Donald Trump portrayed that use of lethal force as clearly justified. Noem averred that the dead woman, Renee Nicole Good, was engaged in an “act of domestic terrorism” because she was trying to “run a law enforcement officer over.” Trump went even further, saying Good “violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer.” (Reason magazine.)
Bystander video of the incident immediately cast doubt on those accounts. Footage from various angles “appears to show the agent,” later identified as Jonathan Ross, “was not in the path of [Good’s] SUV when he fired three shots at close range,” The New York Times reported on Thursday. “The SUV did move toward the ICE agent as he stood in front of it,” The Washington Post noted. “But the agent was able to move out of the way and fire at least two of three shots from the side of the vehicle as it veered past him.”
I am not going to get into the “who did what?” side of this, but I think that to some extent, this is what happens when people who are pressured to “get results” and operate in a system where they are encouraged to do so. For many years, law enforcement in different countries has had this issue, with the US in the lead. We are seeing the increasing militarisation of law enforcement. Radley Balko, who now works at the Washington Post, has done important work in shining a light on where this is going for many years. Things are seemingly getting worse the current administration but this did not come from nowhere.
Several Samizdata commenters are, if I recall correctly, those with law enforcement experience, so I’d be interested to know what the rights and wrongs are here.
The car hit him – it hit his leg.
And he had previously, in an another incident, been hit by another activist driven car – and had 30 stitches.
The lady who was shot was not some random person – the lady and her “wife” were activists who even sent their children to a “Social Justice” school to be trained to attack.
Do the media really not know any of above? Or do they deliberately leave it out of their “reporting”?
I do not know – but it does take long (a few minutes) to find out, so if the media does not know – it is because they do not WANT to know.
It is the same with election fraud, Covid, and everything else – the media (not just openly leftist publications such as the Washington Post – but supposedly non leftist publications such as the Wall Street Journal) not only refuse to report the truth – they actively cover it up, and attack (sneer at) anyone who tells the truth.
Unfortunately the media seem to be utterly committed to the Progressive agenda of world governance – of which the open borders ideology is part.
This is not acceptable.
If the media insist on Civil War this would be tragic, a terrible tragedy, but they must understand that they are quite likely to be on the losing side in such a Civil War – so it would be in the own interests (it really would) to step back – to just STOP this.
As for law enforcement in Minnesota.
Mr George Floyd died of drugs he willingly consumed, but a police officer (who was falsely smeared as a “racist”) was sent to prison for “murder” – although no murder took place (who was murdered?), to be cut up – knifed. Other police officers were also sent to prison (although not for so long) including an Asian police officer – whose “crime” appears to have been that he was a Christian (how this is a crime, was not explained).
The “justice” system in Minnesota is headed by State Attorney General Mr Keith Ellison – a far leftist, whose hatred (actual hatred) for the principles of law, and for Western civilization, is plain. To be fair to this Gentleman he has never covered it up – that he is an enemy of the United States (as defined under such things as the Insurrection Act) is sadly plain, and he has nothing but hatred for the “capitalist” Constitution that he is supposedly sworn to defend.
There can be no compromise with people such as Mr Ellison or Governor Walz (who is a puppet of these forces).
Sadly it really is the case that they destroy you – or you destroy them. There is no middle ground – not in this situation.
They destroy you, or you destroy them – and that goes for their supporters as well.
It is a “military” situation – as these are not political opponents, they are enemies.
A political opponent accepts the “rules of the game” – the forces of “Social Justice” wish to destroy “the game”, capitalist society, and wipe out their enemies.
So they are not opponents – they are enemies.
Hence such things as the Insurrection Act.
Here’s the best breakdown and analysis both of the incident itself and the law governing it that I’ve seen so far:
https://shipwreckedcrew.substack.com/p/minneapolis-is-not-even-a-close-call
She did purposefully turn the wheels to point the vehicle at the ICE agent. She then purposefully accelerated toward him. Her vehicle (a two ton lethal weapon) did, in fact, strike the agent, but that is irrelevant. In the split second he had to react, any rational person would be in fear of death or great bodily harm as a result of her actions and self-defense is fully justified.
The point behind self defense is to PREVENT yourself from being killed or seriously injured by an assailant. If you have to wait until after they actually kill or seriously injure you before you can take action, kind of defeats the purpose doesn’t it?
https://shipwreckedcrew.substack.com/p/minneapolis-is-not-even-a-close-call
Long, but thorough.
At this point, the opinions of law enforcement are more-or-less meaningless. For what it’s worth, I had serious concerns about this affair until I watched later video from the point of view of the officer who fired the shots. It’s quite clear that the vehicle struck him – you can hear the impact and see the shock as the camera jerks sideways. The fact that this selfsame officer was struck by another vehicle a few months ago and sustained serious (although not life-threatening) injuries, will be another major factor.
What matters at this point are the opinions of lawyers, and the question is quite simple – did he have, in that instant, a fear of death or serious injury to himself, or to others, that made his use of deadly force “reasonable”? What she thought or intended or did or did not do is immaterial – all that matters is what he thought in that instant. While the question is very simple, finding an answer will be very hard. And at this point, the legal answer is more-or-less immaterial, because those who need this unfortunate death for their own political ends have already made up their minds and no mere jury verdict is going to change them.
llater,
llamas
Heh. Two minds, with but a single thought. . . .
llater,
llamas
And – Sailorcurt, with all due respect, your post illustrates how hard it is to stay within the lines the law sets out. You say the victim did things ‘purposefully’, when you actually have no way of knowing why she did, what she did. She may have been unaware of the officer’s location, she may have misjudged his motion and thought she would not strike him, her foot may have slipped or misapplied the gas pedal. The best you can say is that she did what she did ‘voluntarily’, or by choice, but you cannot make any judgement as to her purpose, and indeed, neither coukd the officer in that moment. Maybe if she had a PA system on the roof of her car and was yelling ‘I’ll run you down!’, the question of her ‘purpose’ might be relevant to the officer’s state of mind, but she didn’t and it isn’t. As it is, assertions about whether she did what she did ‘purposefully’ all tend to try and justify the officer’s actions, when they should not have any bearing whatever on that judgement.
llater,
llamas
I know a few J6’ers who would be rolling on the floor and laughing at this statement.
So far this weekend, I’ve been hit with an ICE pepperball, and had a car window broken out by a purple-haired screaming bitch. And it’s still just Sunday morning. This is what happens when you’re in the overlap spot in the Venn diagram.
P.S. Every state has its own Use Of Deadly Force statute. In Minnesota, it’s M.S. 609.066.
This is the state law standard by which the officer will be judged, assuming an ICE officer qualifies as a “peace officer.
Bobby: J6ers?
but I think that to some extent, this is what happens when people who are pressured to “get results” and operate in a system where they are encouraged to do so. For many years, law enforcement in different countries has had this issue, with the US in the lead. We are seeing the increasing militarisation of law enforcement.
Although I think there is some truth to this statement, this is not that. The situation with ICE is simply one of ongoing, systematic, organized and deliberate interference with the just execution of federal law. If you are doing that it is not going to go well. These agents are not armed with machine guns, it is a bit deceptive, the things that look like rifles are actually pepper spray guns. Of course all police in the USA carry a side arm. So the death of this woman is a not at all surprising outcome of the systematic and often violent resistance to the legitimate use of police force to deport people here illegally, usually very bad people.
In regards to this specific incident, I think the officer is going to be either not charged or acquitted because the feds take jurisdiction here. If it were in a state court in Hennepin county they would undoubtedly do a Chauvin on him. Most lawyers I know say this is a clear case of self defense. Was the car a threat to him — hell yes, the video evidence is clear that it actually hit him. Me? I’m not a lawyer but what I will say is that looking at the video he fired one shot while she was hitting him which was surely justified, but after he rolled off the side he seemed to fire two more shots through the side window when he was clearly out of danger. Was that just adrenaline? Did I misjudge the video? I don’t know. He was in contact with the car for too short a time to discharge his weapon three times, and based on the sound of the shots it seems to me that two were after he was at the side and out of danger. But I also recognize two things — it is a hugely difficult situation and hindsight is 20/20, but I also recognize that if you are a LEO you are supposed to be trained to handle these difficult situations well.
So I think this is a difficult case — if the first shot killed her then the subsequent shots don’t matter, but if one of the other shots killed her I think is is a lot less clear cut and we need a very careful review of the evidence.
Where most people stand on this is far more to do with their thoughts on whether ICE are Nazis or fulfilling their obligations enforcing federal law — which seems pretty much split down the middle. I think the happiest man in America though is Tim Walz who is going all in to use this to distract the country from the torrent of evidence of his and his administration’s corruption, fecklessness and malfeasance.
Just an FYI, this is not a settled issue.
Sorry, shorthand here doesn’t always translate. 1000 or so defendants from the January 6, 2021 protest at the US capital.
@bobby b
Just an FYI, this [jurisdiction] is not a settled issue.
OK, I thought as a federal officer acting in his capacity it was clearly in their jurisdiction, but you sure as hell know a lot more about it than me. For sure, which way that goes will entirely determine this man’s fate. I remember Chauvin’s trial where the courthouse was surrounded by mobs ready to lynch any jury member unwilling to go along with the narrative, Molotov cocktails in hand ready to burn down the city were they not to get their way. Managed by a police force whose leadership would rather the city burned to the ground than that they misgender someone. I would expect nothing less here for this man.
I was scrolling down the page to make this very point. The screaming left in the US think they are at war with the authorities but scream louder when the authorities fight back.
It is possible the media really do not know the basic facts of this case.
Or of the case of Mr Floyd and Officer Chauvin.
Or the facts about Covid.
Or the facts about anything at all.
It is possible that I am assuming bad intent – when all that is at work is honest ignorance.
But I still find this baffling – as I have no difficulty at all in finding out the facts basic matters, such as election fraud.
I am still inclined to the view that the media do not know (for example do not know the facts about these leftist activists – one of whom is no longer in this world) because they do-not-want-to-know.
This was not the first time this ICE agent had been attacked – he had been severely injured in another car attack, and he did NOT fully avoid this car attack, he was hit again – although, thankfully, not so seriously this time.
As for the leftist activists – they must understand that if they insist (insist) on Civil War, even sending their children to “Social Justice” schools to be taught to attack, that Civil War will be fought.
That Civil War, if they insist upon it, will be fought – and the left, the media and so on, are likely to lose that Civil War – and to no longer be in this world.
So please stop pushing for Civil War, it is in your interests (Washington Post crowd and so on) to step back.
As for J6.
It is now clear, as if there was any real doubt, that the 2020 Presidential Election was rigged – that there was massive election fraud.
It is also the case that the people who entered the Capitol Building did so on the urging of Agent Provocateurs – working for the FBI and other agencies.
Just as some people said at-the-time.
For the media to continue to deny the above facts – is not acceptable.
It’s not that I know more about it, it’s that I know that we both know less about it than we suspect. If that makes any sense.
Triggered by the murders of 80 or so people in Waco by the feds back in ’93, there has been a lot of discussion about what rights the states retain in such situations. Books have been written on this very issue. The Texas state authorities in the end decided not to attempt to charge the FBI agents involved – just too much of a legal mess, plus they were politically aligned – but there is no definitive answer as to what they could have done.
Might be a moot question anyway. Our esteemed MN Attorney General Keith Ellison announced this morning that, if the State and Hennepin County both decide to avoid that fight for now, there is no statute of limitations time period for murder, and so they will simply wait for the next Democrat presidential administration, and either have the fed DOJ charge the officer then, or charge him with state crimes knowing the DOJ will waive its own jurisdiction.
Either way, the officer’s future is grim. A trial in Hennepin County will be a kangaroo trial, much like Chauvin’s.
(ETA: When I say his future is grim, I do think that, on currently-available evidence, he SHOULD prevail, but even then, the process is the punishment. Chauvin should have prevailed, too.)