Letter challenges officials’ accounts of Good killing

To the Editor:

The reaction of our country’s leaders to the killing of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent has put their complete lack of character in crystal clear perspective.

Even if someone takes the highly dubious position that the shooting by Jonathan Ross was justified, there is no ignoring or excusing the cruel dishonesty of Donald Trump and his administration in their remarks afterward. Consider:

Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs, Department of Homeland Security: “Today, ICE officers in Minneapolis were conducting targeted operations when rioters began blocking ICE officers and one of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them — an act of domestic terrorism.”

Kristi Noem, DHS Secretary: “What happened was our ICE officers were out in an enforcement action. They got stuck in the snow because of the adverse weather that is in Minneapolis. They were attempting to push out their vehicle, and a woman attacked them and those surrounding them and attempted to run them over and ram them with her vehicle … She weaponized her vehicle to conduct an act of violence against a law enforcement officer, and the public.”

Donald Trump (on social media): “(T)he woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer, who seems to have shot her in self-defense ... it is hard to believe he is alive.”

Anyone who accepts these characterizations and has seen the videos of the killing should be challenged to claim that the accounts remotely resemble what happened. If the highest officials in our government are willing to make such statements — and stand by them despite indisputable evidence that they are false — then all doubt is removed about their unfitness for the offices they hold. 

Ted J. Rulseh

Harshaw