US President Donald Trump blamed the woman who was shot dead by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer during a raid for her fate, claiming she attempted to run over the officer.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, just hours after Renee Nicole Good, 37, was fatally shot, Trump said the woman’s actions justified the use of force.
When asked whether firing into a vehicle was acceptable under such circumstances, Trump said the woman “behaved horribly” and insisted she had driven her car into the officer.
“She didn’t try to run him over,” he said, before repeating that she had, in fact, done so, in response to the question by The New York Times.
Trump later played video footage of the incident and acknowledged its gravity. “With all of it being said, no, I don’t like that happening,” he said, describing the encounter as violent. “That was a vicious situation that took place.” After the footage ended, he added, “It’s a terrible scene. I think it’s horrible to watch. No, I hate to see it.”
Protests Erupt After ICE Shooting
The killing of Renee Nicole Good, 37, has triggered protests in several US cities, intensifying scrutiny of the Trump administration’s latest immigration enforcement operations. The shooting occurred amid a series of high-profile ICE actions in major urban centres.
According to the Associated Press, the Minneapolis incident is at least the fifth death linked to the current immigration crackdown, further fuelling anger among civil rights groups and local officials.
What Video Footage Shows
Videos circulating online show ICE agents approaching a car stopped in the middle of a street. As the vehicle begins to move away, one agent can be seen pointing a gun at the driver, followed by the sound of at least two gunshots.
Moments later, the car appears to veer out of control and crashes into a parked vehicle along the roadside.
US Vice President JD Vance strongly defended the officer involved, describing Good as a “deranged leftist” who attempted to run over a federal agent. Vance said the officer “discharged his weapon in self-defence,” adding that other video angles showed the woman striking the officer with her car while accelerating.
Conflicting Accounts From Officials
Federal and local authorities have offered sharply different explanations of what led to the fatal shooting.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Good had been “stalking and impeding” federal officers throughout the day and accused her of trying to “weaponise her vehicle” by running over the officer. Noem characterised the act as “domestic terrorism.”
Local officials disputed that account. The Minneapolis City Council said Good was “caring for her neighbours” at the time she was shot and killed. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said the state would conduct a “full, fair, and expeditious investigation” into the incident.
