By John Q. Hosedrinker 
A cell phone video, purportedly capturing the perspective of the ICE officer involved, has emerged concerning the shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. This footage is currently under review and is providing new insights into the events leading up to the confrontation. NBC News reporters Tom Winter and Julia Ainsley are analyzing the video and its implications for the ongoing investigation. The video’s contents are expected to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
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Cell phone video from ICE officer shows fatal Minneapolis shooting. Let’s talk about it. The fact that we’re even having this conversation, looking at cell phone footage of a shooting by an ICE officer, feels inherently wrong. It’s not bodycam footage, which is the standard, the expected protocol. You can clearly see it’s a cell phone, the jerky movements, the phone’s reflection – it all points to a level of recklessness that’s hard to ignore. The fact that the video was “leaked” to a site run by the wife of the former Minneapolis police union head, well, it’s pretty transparent about the intended narrative.
The video itself is… disturbing. It shows a series of events that are hard to interpret as anything other than a misjudgment that resulted in tragedy. Multiple conflicting commands being shouted at the driver. The driver’s last words, “That’s fine dude, I’m not mad at you.” Her turning the wheel away from him before accelerating. The camera going up in the air as he fires the shots. The officer’s attention focused on his phone right before he shoots. And, perhaps most damning, the officer’s choice of words, “fucking bitch,” immediately after taking a life.
It’s hard to see how anyone could justify this. The driver’s actions don’t seem to be aimed at harming the officer. She was turning her wheel away, trying to escape. Even if she was trying to flee or resist the officers’ orders to get out of the car, which is what they wanted, why would the appropriate response be to shoot? Her actions do not represent a clear and immediate threat. The angle, the wheel’s movement – it’s difficult to argue that she was intentionally trying to hit him.
The fact that this was a cell phone video is just baffling. If there’s a threat, why would you choose to film, with one hand and a gun in the other? It’s not just about the quality of the recording; it’s about the mindset. You have to wonder, did he film to document it or did he film it to watch over and over? This isn’t just about bad tactics; it’s about a fundamental lack of judgment and disregard for human life.
And let’s be clear about what’s being argued by some: that the driver was somehow trying to use her car as a weapon. No. Just no. If you’re an ICE agent, and you truly believe you’re being rammed, why wouldn’t the immediate response be to move? To get out of the way? To prioritize your own safety? Why would you put yourself in front of a car in the first place? It’s just bad, dangerous, and against policy.
And the policy is very clear. ICE officers are instructed to avoid standing in front of cars. They’re told not to intentionally and unreasonably put themselves in a position where they have no alternative but to use deadly force. They are required to use de-escalation tactics. All of this points away from the officer in the video and his actions that led to this shooting.
For someone to call another person, and an unarmed person, a derogatory name after killing them is not only disrespectful and unprofessional, it reinforces the sense that this was not about safety or duty. It was about something else.
It’s clear that the driver was turning away from the officer and that his use of deadly force was not justified. It’s clear that he was in violation of policy. It is also clear that this situation could have been handled very differently. We should demand better of our law enforcement. The fact this is even a debate highlights a larger problem in how ICE conducts itself, what training and protocols are in place, and what standards they are held to.