Wife of woman shot dead by ICE officer says ‘we had whistles, they had guns’ as she pays tribute
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The wife of a woman shot dead in her car by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer has paid tribute to her, saying “kindness radiated out of her”.
The Trump administration has said Wednesday’s shooting in Minneapolis was an act of self-defence, suggesting 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good used her vehicle as a weapon to attack the agent who killed her.
But state and local officials as well as protesters have rejected that characterisation, with Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey saying video recordings show the self-defence argument was “garbage”.
The shooting happened on the second day of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown on the cities of Minneapolis and St Paul, and the killing sparked protests on the streets of Minneapolis and elsewhere.
Ms Good, a US citizen and mother-of-three, was taking part in a “neighbourhood patrol” on Wednesday that observes ICE activities, according to an activist.
‘She literally sparkled’
In a statement to local radio, Ms Good’s wife Becca said “we stopped to support our neighbours. We had whistles. They had guns”.
She said her partner was “kind”, “sparkled” and was “made of sunshine”.
Ms Good said: “She literally sparkled. I mean, she didn’t wear glitter but I swear she had sparkles coming out of her pores. All the time. You might think it was just my love talking but her family said the same thing. Renee was made of sunshine.”
She added: “Renee leaves behind three extraordinary children; the youngest is just six years old and already lost his father.
“I am now left to raise our son and to continue teaching him, as Renee believed, that there are people building a better world for him. That the people who did this had fear and anger in their hearts, and we need to show them a better way.”
US officials alleged Ms Good tried to run over the agent, while people who have defended the woman said they believe footage showed she steered away from the officer.
Read more:
What does the footage of ICE shooting show?
Why are ICE agents in Minneapolis?
Major immigration crackdown
The Department of Homeland Security has called the crackdown in Minneapolis and St Paul the biggest immigration enforcement operation ever, with more than 2,000 officers taking part and over 1,500 arrests made.
Several bystanders filmed videos of the fatal shooting.
The recordings showed an ICE officer approaching an SUV stopped across the middle of the road, demanding the driver open the door and grabbing the handle.
The Honda Pilot began to move forward and a different ICE officer stood in front of it pulled his weapon and immediately fired at least two shots at close range, jumping back as the vehicle moved towards him.
It was not clear from the videos if the vehicle made contact with the officer, and there was no indication of whether the woman had interactions with agents earlier.
The Minnesota agency that looks into officer-involved shootings said it has been told the FBI and US Justice Department would not work with it on the investigation into Ms Good’s killing.
Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem said the state has no jurisdiction.
Without access, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said it had withdrawn from the investigation.
Minnesota governor Tim Walz demanded the state be allowed to take part, saying it would be “very difficult for Minnesotans” to accept a probe excluding the state could be fair.
