In the American city of Minneapolis, a woman was shot and killed by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer. State and federal officials have given different versions of what happened.
Federal authorities say it was an act of self-defence as the woman allegedly tried to run over the ICE officer with her car. The city’s mayor and state governor have denied that version.
The deceased-37-year-old Renee Nicole Goode, a U.S. citizen. In her social media accounts, Goode described herself as a “poet and writer, wife and mother.
Social media posted video of the incident, which shows an ICE officer approaching a car parked in the middle of the road, demanding that the driver open the door, and grabbing the handle. The vehicle begins to move forward, whereupon another ICE officer standing in front of the vehicle draws his weapon and fires at least three shots at the vehicle in the vicinity, jumping back. U.S. news agencies indicate that the officer remained on his feet during the incident.
After the shots were fired, the vehicle crashed at high speed into two cars parked on the side of the road nearby before coming to an abrupt stop.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem alleges that Goode blocked ICE officers with her vehicle and refused to give way, then tried to run over a law enforcement officer.
Noem characterised what happened as” domestic terrorism and said the FBI has launched an investigation.
US President Donald Trump also reacted to the incident, also saying the woman “intentionally hit an ICE officer”.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has strongly rejected claims that the ICE officer shot in self-defence. He said video of the shooting directly contradicts that theory.
“They are wreaking havoc on our streets and, in this case, literally killing people. So they are already trying to portray this as an act of self-defence. This was an agent who recklessly used force and someone died as a result,” Frey said.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said after the shooting that “we are seeing the consequences of governing to create fear.
“For weeks we’ve been warning that the Trump administration’s dangerous operations threaten our public safety, that someone could get hurt,” Volz said at a press conference.
The Democratic governor was referring to raids that ICE is conducting in search of undocumented migrants. These raids are being protested against by activists who are unhappy with Trump’s policies.
According to Reuters, on the evening of 7 January, a makeshift memorial appeared at the site of the shooting in Minneapolis and several thousand people gathered.
Opponents of Trump called for protests in a number of US cities. People have reportedly taken to the streets in more than 10 cities.
Earlier, the Department of Homeland Security said Minnesota was conducting the “largest operation in history” involving two thousand ICE officers.
Noem said authorities have arrested 1,500 people in recent weeks.
The action follows allegations of large-scale welfare fraud allegedly involving Somali immigrants.