Daijiworld Media Network - Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Jan 8: Fresh controversy has erupted following the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Minneapolis on Wednesday, after video footage of the incident appeared to contradict claims made by US authorities and former President Donald Trump.
In a social media post, Trump alleged that video evidence showed the woman had “violently, willfully, and viciously” run over an ICE officer. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also initially claimed the woman attempted to run over officers with her car “to kill them.”
The woman was later identified by US Senator Tina Smith, a Minnesota Democrat, as 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, speaking at a press conference in Texas, said the woman had “attacked” officers and attempted to run them over and ram them with her vehicle after officers were stuck in snow.
However, three videos of the incident reviewed by CNN present a more complex sequence of events, while what exactly transpired before the shooting remains unclear.
According to one video circulating online, the woman’s car was stationary and positioned perpendicular in the middle of a street. An officer, who later fired the fatal shots, is seen walking behind the vehicle toward its front, followed by another individual appearing to film on a mobile phone.
Two federal officers then arrived in a truck and approached the woman as she waved her hand out of the driver’s window. Officers repeatedly ordered her to get out of the car, using strong language. One officer pulled on the driver-side door, while another moved toward the front of the vehicle.
Moments later, the car reversed slightly as one officer continued pulling the door and another stood near the front. The vehicle then moved forward, prompting a third officer to draw his firearm and point it at the woman while stepping away.
Footage from a different angle, also reviewed by CNN, appears to show the vehicle making contact with an officer just before the first shot was fired. While the initial video does not clearly capture the moment of impact, it shows the officer’s body moving away from the front of the vehicle toward the driver’s side immediately after.
The incident has sparked renewed debate over the use of force by federal officers, with questions mounting over the accuracy of initial official statements and the circumstances that led to the deadly shooting.