There is a process that is known as “getting all the facts.”
When you’re conducting any kind of investigation – especially with law enforcement – you leave no stone unturned. You talk to witnesses. You watch surveillance video. You investigate the crime scene without missing any detail. You get all the facts before you come to any conclusion. That’s how it’s supposed to work.
Unless you’re the Minneapolis government, it seems.
As you may have heard by now, a 37-year-old woman named Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an ICE officer when she reportedly attempted to run over them with a vehicle. It is an unnecessary tragedy, and one that certainly deserves an investigation to find out what went wrong.
However, that’s not the way that Jacob Frey, Mayor of Minneapolis, isn’t seeing it. He’s using the incident as a crutch to openly wage war on federal officers who are cleaning up the mess that his very own administration has allowed to happen – the Somali scheme that is costing taxpayers billions.
Rather than waiting to hear what had happened and even allowing his own local law enforcement to help in any kind of investigation, Frey held a news conference and – a reminder, this is an official of a state here – told ICE to “get the f**k out of Minneapolis.” Profanity and all.
“We do not want you here. Your stated reason for being in this city is to create some kind of safety and you’re doing exactly the opposite.”
In other words, he has given his citizens all-out permission to scorn these agents and perhaps even put their lives in danger. It’s inexcusable.
He could’ve used this opportunity to mourn the loss of Good and perhaps even extend an olive branch to work closely with the agent. But, nope, let’s throw a Molotov cocktail in there and wage full-on war.
And, as expected, chaos reigns. Protestors are out in droves, creating an even more dangerous climate and putting innocent lives – and lives of law enforcement – in danger. All because of impatience.
It doesn’t help that Frey and Minneapolis Police Department Chief Brian O’Hara have been building up this unnecessary resistance for weeks, calling ICE’s presence a threat to citizens.
“I have very publicly been saying that I have been concerned, both number one, that a tragedy would occur — that either a federal law enforcement officer or a civilian member of the community would get seriously hurt or killed — and also that such heightened tensions and so many emotions around these issues could lead to civil unrest, which is something that our city was, the center of truly the worst and most destructive civil unrest in our country’s history five years ago.”
The problem is this. Neither O’Hara nor Frey wants to admit that they were the cause of such a build-up. And this level of drama isn’t stopping the build-up from enormous tension. It doesn’t help that the media and thousands on social media are eating it up as well.
But let’s talk about the actions of Good and what I believe led to her death.
First off, it’s hard to tell where her intentions truly lie. But when a situation escalates, and the person doesn’t listen, it opens the door to a potentially dangerous matter, whether they intend it or not. A person behind the wheel of a car charging at a police officer is something that should be taken very seriously. What if they hit the officer? What if they swerve and put other lives at risk?
And the fact that she refused to comply? Did she not hear the orders? I could watch the video again and again, and I’m just questioning… why didn’t she stop? When someone creates a situation like this, it puts officers in a situation where they have to make a split-second decision. That’s the nature of their job. Keeping people safe.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem made this perfectly clear in her first comments following the shooting. She created a situation where the agent “feared for his life and the other officers around him.” And social media posters can joke about this all they like, but it’s a very serious matter. Law enforcement doesn’t just look out for their lives, but also for others. In fact, they put their lives on the line.
Even if the intentions aren’t made clear, the actions are. And if the person doesn’t listen to orders or continues to be a viable threat, something must be done in the name of safety.
I do believe an investigation is in order, even with the video and the rumors that Good had actually been following ICE agents around all day, keeping “tabs” on whatever actions they performed in the city. But the way that the situation has now been blown out of the water to turn them into all-out villains is terrifying, to say the least.
But now here we are. Frey is asking for all-out war against these law enforcement types, and no doubt O’Hara will put his own officers in a dangerous situation, once again making it clear that ICE can’t be trusted, but also trying to keep citizens safe from riots and protests that are taking place. He’s created more work than necessary, all because of his gut feeling.
I think the situation could’ve been handled much better. Launch an investigation, look into all the details, and work closely with everyone to ensure that nothing is done in vain. But instead, Frey and O’Hara are lighting a fire that could very well get out of their control. Just as it did years prior – in the same city – with George Floyd.
I pray for the safety of our law enforcement officials, police, and ICE alike. And I also offer my condolences to the family and friends of Good. All this could have been avoided had the officials not painted the narrative that ICE was the problem. Clearly, blame could’ve been accepted, and true law and order could’ve been found. Instead, I fear we’ll see chaos in the weeks ahead.
And unnecessary at that.
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