GUEST COLUMN, J. Basil Dannebohm
On Jan. 7, federal law enforcement officers in Minneapolis were “doing an enforcement operation.”
At 9:35:05 a.m. local time, witnesses observed Renee Nicole Good’s Honda Pilot stopped diagonally on Portland Avenue. Roughly a minute later, a woman who would later identify herself as Good’s spouse stood behind the Honda Pilot and appeared to question a federal agent.
Good’s vehicle then moved very slightly forward while her spouse and an agent remained behind the car.
The vehicle stopped.
Approximately one minute later, two other federal officers approached, ordering Good to “get out of the car.”
The vehicle was put in reverse and the federal agent who was behind the Honda Pilot moved alongside the passenger side of the car, eventually making his way around the front of the car and standing near the front driver’s side of the vehicle. As the car moved forward, the wheels began to turn to the right, away from where the ICE agent was standing.
The federal agent who was standing near the front driver’s side of the vehicle pulled out his gun.
With his right hand on his firearm and his left hand on his phone, the federal officer fired the first shot through the windshield toward Good at 9:37:13 a.m., according to ABC News’ metadata analysis. About four tenths of a second after the first shot, as the car continued to move forward, a second shot was fired.
The federal officer who fired the two shots remained upright and could be seen to the left of the passing vehicle, facing the driver’s side door. He then fired a third gunshot.
Three seconds after the shooting, the Honda Pilot crashed into a parked car. Renee Nicole Good would later be pronounced dead. Contrary to a statement by President Trump, there was no indication that the federal officer sustained any injuries based on four videos of the incident, including footage filmed by the officer himself.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the federal officer who killed Good was dragged by a vehicle while conducting an enforcement operation last summer.
Did the officer receive additional training, counseling, and/or leave after the incident that allegedly occurred over the summer?
We don’t know.
Should the officer have returned to a similar assignment roughly six months after what’s been described by DHS as a “traumatic event?”
Probably not.
However, traditional rules of law enforcement don’t seem to apply to the Trump regime’s secret police. Similarly, the officer’s use of excessive and deadly force will likely go unpunished.
Were the tactics employed by the officer unusual?
Not according to an article entitled, “US Border Agents Intentionally Stepped in Front of Moving Vehicles to Justify Shooting at Them.” The story, written by Steven Hsieh, ran in The Nation (magazine) on Feb. 28, 2014, when Barack Obama was President. Some readers might recall that we used to refer to Obama as, “Deporter-in-Chief.”
This brings up another point.
As protestors, most of whom are of left-leaning persuasion, have taken to the streets to harass officers and obstruct ICE operations, 75 House Democrats joined their Republican counterparts, approving a resolution on June 9, 2025, to express “gratitude” to ICE as the Los Angeles raids were underway.
Based on GovTrack (a site every voter should frequent), which documents Congress’ legislative activities, among them were:
• Davids (Kan.), born in Germany and of Native American descent
• Krishnamoorthi (Ill.), an immigrant from India
• Ruiz (Calif.), an immigrant from Mexico
• Torres (Calif.), an immigrant from Guatemala
• Vindman (Va.), an immigrant from Ukraine
Evidently, they didn’t read the resolution or simply didn’t care. But voters in their districts who are opposed to ICE operations should care and remember their names during the midterm elections.
Which brings me to my final point.
Keep your emotions under control and stay safe. Harassing ICE agents isn’t a prudent decision. It’s reasonable to assume that many of them are affiliated with the Proud Boys or other fringe extremist groups. There is nothing an opponent to their operations can say or do that will dissuade them from carrying out their mission. When the chaos finally comes to an end, they’re likely to receive a pardon and stick with the line that was tossed out at the Nuremberg trials: “I was just following orders.”
A safe and effective way one can exhibit opposition to ICE operations is to vote against those who have expressed their support for ICE. Moreover, if you want to cast, “shame” at someone, consider focusing your frustration closer to home on family and friends who voted for this madness. They’re the ones who should be ashamed.
